The National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Kehinde Ejibunu, says the smuggling of Petrol Motor Spirit products has pushed up the price to ₦900 per litre.
Ejibunu revealed this while announcing the seizure of 26,950 litres of petroleum products worth about ₦19m being smuggled out of the country into the Republic of Benin.
This is as data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in its latest report on PMS that the average retail price paid by consumers for petrol for April 2024, was ₦701, indicating a 176.02% increase when compared to the value recorded in April 2023 (₦254.06).
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s petrol pump price currently sells below ₦600/ltr.
At a press briefing held at the Ogun State Command Office of the Nigeria Customs Service Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, he said activities of the smugglers usually aid the artificial scarcity of petroleum products in the country, leading to an increase in prices.
Giving further details of the team’s activities, he said that the seized petroleum products which consisted of 978 kegs of 25 litres totalling 26,950 litres, were impounded in Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service, consisting of Lagos and Ogun states under two weeks.
He said that the special squad was set up two weeks ago by the Comptroller-General of the NCS, Bashir Adeniyi, to add bite to efforts aimed at cracking down on the criminals smuggling petroleum products outside the country.
“In just about two weeks of operation, the Operation Whirlwind team, Zone A axis intercepted 26,950 litres of premium motor spirit worth N19m,” he said
Ejibunu said that the menace posed by the unpatriotic act of smugglers on the Nigerian economy cannot be overemphasised, hence, the need for synergy with other relevant agencies to win the fight against the saboteurs
Ejibunu disclosed further that “121 kegs of PMS of 25 litres equivalent to 3025 litres was intercepted at Oyinkansola Global Concept along Badagry/Seme road in Lagos State on 31st of May 2024.
“77 drums of PMS (616 kegs of 25 litres) equivalent to 15, 400 litres was seized on Friday, June 7, 2024, at Seayab Petroleum along Imeko/Obada road in Ogun State. The means of conveyance is a truck with the registration number 95D4244D”.
He further stated that another 100 kegs of PMS of 25 litres equivalent to 2500 litres, was impounded on Saturday, June 8 along Owode/Atan Road, Ogun State while an equivalent of 6,025 litres consisting of 141 kegs of 25 litres, was seized at Julankoly Oil and Gas along Owode/Ilaro road.
Ejibunu said that the petroleum stations involved in the criminal activities have been sealed up while their owners will be prosecuted.
He said that the product seized would be condemned and then auctioned very soon given its inflammable nature, urging all those who are into criminal acts of sabotaging the country’s economy, to either have a change of heart or get dealt with according to the extant laws.
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