Abuja, Nigeria — The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has sealed multiple filling stations and penalized three petroleum marketers for allegedly receiving stolen fuel. This crackdown followed operations carried out by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in August 2024, which intercepted seven petrol trucks and sealed 12 retail outlets.
According to a report detailing the NCS’s August achievements, the customs operations led to the seizure of 466,000 liters of petrol and 23 vehicles. Seven suspects were subsequently prosecuted following investigations.
The NCS report highlighted the agency’s intensified “Operation Whirlwind,” aimed at combating fuel smuggling, particularly in border states. The operation has been ongoing for months, with significant results in August, including the interception of fuel trucks and the closure of retail outlets selling stolen products. In conjunction with the NMDPRA, three marketers were fined, and filling stations implicated in the illegal fuel trade were transferred for further action.
The report also revealed the NCS’s success in broader anti-smuggling efforts, with 83 seizures made in August, including 3,083 bags of foreign rice, 170,000 liters of petrol, 1,014 parcels of cannabis sativa, 23 vehicles, and other contraband items. The total Duty Paid Value of the confiscated goods amounted to over N975 million.
In addition to its enforcement activities, the NCS announced that it generated a total revenue of N293.3 billion in August 2024, including N277.5 billion from import duties and N15.8 billion from excise duties. These figures reflect the service’s ongoing commitment to enhancing government income through effective customs monitoring and regulations enforcement.
The operations underscore the efforts of Nigerian authorities to curb fuel smuggling, ensure compliance in the petroleum sector, and boost government revenue amidst ongoing challenges in the energy and trade sectors.
