Customs foils large-scale petrol smuggling ring in Adamawa-Taraba border corridors

The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted more than 50,000 litres of petrol suspected to have been diverted for illegal export through border communities in Adamawa and Taraba states.

The development revealed persistent fuel smuggling despite ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.

The Adamawa/Taraba Area Command of the service said the seized petrol – 50,495 litres stored in 1,868 jerry cans, has a duty-paid value of ₦58.1 million and was intercepted at multiple border corridors notorious for cross-border fuel smuggling.

The area comptroller, Mohammed Tako, disclosed the seizures on Tuesday in Yola during a briefing with journalists.

Mr Tako said the operations were intelligence-driven and conducted at different locations and times, largely in the early hours of the day—an indication, he noted, of increasing sophistication among smugglers exploiting porous border routes.

According to him, customs officers intercepted 410 jerry cans of petrol along the Mubi–Sahuda axis at about 2:45 a.m. on December 12, 2025. Four days later, at about 4:15 a.m., another 362 jerry cans were seized along the Daware–Fufore axis.

He said operatives also intercepted 330 jerry cans along the Fufore–Gurin corridor late on December 31, while on January 5, officers seized 141 jerry cans and a 220-litre drum of petrol at Wuro Bokki, a border community frequently linked to illicit fuel movements.

In addition to the petrol, the command also seized 10 bales and two sacks of second-hand clothing along the Mubi–Sahuda axis, items prohibited under Nigeria’s import regulations.

Mr Tako said the seizures were carried out in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, particularly Sections 150, 245, and 246, which empower the service to prevent illegal exportation of petroleum products and confiscate smuggled goods.

“The Nigeria Customs Service is statutorily empowered to protect national economic interests. Smuggling of petroleum products undermines government revenue, distorts local fuel supply, and fuels criminal networks across borders,” he said.

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The seizures come amid rising concerns over continued petrol smuggling despite Nigeria’s fuel subsidy removal, which has narrowed price differentials between Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

Mr Tako warned individuals and syndicates involved in fuel smuggling to desist or face prosecution, stressing that the command would sustain surveillance across known smuggling routes.

He also commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, for what he described as strategic leadership, and praised sister security agencies for their cooperation in the border operations.