The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has auctioned off approximately 20,000 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, at N630 per liter in Ibadan, Oyo State. The product, intercepted from smugglers, was sold to the public at Afoo Filling Station in the Masfala area.
According to Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu, National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, the seized petrol was part of a larger haul of 30,750 liters, with a total duty-paid value of N42.75 million. The tanker carrying the petrol was seized alongside 30 kegs containing 25 liters each during a smuggling attempt.
The auction followed a court condemnation order after the items remained unclaimed. Comptroller Ejibunu stated that the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashiru Adeniyi, directed the sale to improve public access to fuel during the festive season ¹.
This move aligns with the government’s commitment to ensuring citizens receive their entitlements promptly. The NCS has also cautioned smugglers to abandon their illegal activities, warning that offenders would face prosecution.
In a similar operation two months earlier, seized petrol was sold to the public in Yola, Adamawa State, at the regulated price. The NCS has urged Nigerians to support the agency by providing information on economic saboteurs, pledging its dedication to curbing smuggling under the directive of the Comptroller General.
