Customs Hunts Smugglers, Intercepts 108,775 Litres of PMS on Adamawa Waterway

ZAINAB JUNAID

The Nigeria Customs Service has made a major bust, intercepting 108,775 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) smuggled through the River Benue into Cameroun.

This is one of the biggest anti-fuel smuggling operations recorded in Adamawa State recently, and it was carried out in the early hours of Thursday, 6 November 2025, under the leadership of the National Coordinator, Operation Whirlwind, ACG Kolapo Oladeji.

Speaking on the development, ACG Kolade attributed the success to a special tactical team, who mounted a covert surveillance position near Ribadu Loading Bay, a notorious route known for illicit fuel movement into Cameroon.

“As the smugglers began to transfer the products onto the vessel, the Customs team advanced, authorised them to halt.

“Given the terrain and visibility challenges, operatives prioritised securing the contraband and preventing the boat from escaping across the international waterway,” the National Coordinator stated.

Further efforts to curtail illegal activities in the region, in collaboration with the North-Eastern Marine Command, led to the discovery of a second wooden boat laden with petrol-filled drums and jerrycans.

According to ACG Oladeji, the two vessels were piloted to Jimeta waterside in Yola, where their contents were emptied into trucks and moved to a secured Customs facility for documentation.

Examination conducted on the product revealed a staggering haul of 485 drums of 220 litres each and 83 jerrycans of 25 litres each, amounting to a total of 108,775 litres of PMS.

“Given the volatile nature of the product, prompt conduct of a public auction in accordance with established guidelines was recommended to NCS, Headquarters” he noted.

The National Coordinator said the operation reflects the Service’s renewed resolve to suppress cross-border smuggling of petroleum products, protect Nigeria’s economic interests, and enforce government regulations on fuel movement in the border regions.

He noted that smuggling PMS across Nigeria’s northern and eastern waterways has remained a major threat to national energy security, as the products are often ferried in large quantities into neighbouring countries for profiteering.