By Akinsuroju Olubunmi
BREAKING: Customs Crackdown Halts Fuel Distribution
Petroleum marketers and IPMAN have shut down all filling stations in Adamawa and Taraba after the Nigerian Customs’ ‘unlawful arrest’ of fuel trucks.
All filling stations in the affected states, including those operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), have ceased operations. The distribution of petroleum products, including Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), has been suspended in Adamawa and Taraba states.
This drastic measure followed the alleged unlawful confiscation of PMS and fuel trucks by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) special anti-smuggling unit, “Operation Whirlwind.”
Dahiru Buba, Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) for the Adamawa/Taraba zone, announced in Yola that all filling stations must close. He accused customs officers of overstepping their boundaries by targeting legitimate businesses within towns, causing financial losses, artificial scarcity, and increased product prices.
“We are puzzled about when the Nigeria Customs Service was assigned the responsibility of sealing petrol stations and impounding trucks under any guise,” Buba stated.
He called on Customs Service operatives to stop these illegal activities and mentioned that a formal complaint had been sent to the Comptroller General of Customs for necessary action.
Currently, illegal vendors with kegs of the highly flammable product are operating across Yola metropolis, posing a significant fire hazard.
Efforts to contact the Assistant Controller of Operation Whirlwind in charge of zone ‘D’ were unsuccessful, as his phone was switched off. However, another officer, who wished to remain anonymous, indicated that “The Assistant Controller will brief the press tomorrow (Tuesday).”
Customs, Stations
BREAKING: Customs Crackdown Halts Fuel Distribution