By Danjuma Amodu | February 24, 2026
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted three fuel tankers carrying 154,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit along the Badagry corridor, foiling an attempted diversion of petroleum products.
The National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, Deputy Comptroller Abubakar Aliyu, disclosed this on Friday, 20 February 2026, during a handover and public auction at the Customs Training College, Ikeja.
Aliyu attributed the seizures to sustained intelligence-led operations across the Owode Apa, Seme, and Badagry axis. The tankers were laden with 60,000 litres, 49,000 litres, and 45,000 litres, respectively, in contravention of established Standard Operating Procedures.
“Their interception was not accidental; it was the outcome of intelligence-driven operations, vigilance, and the uncompromising resolve of Operation Whirlwind to safeguard Nigeria’s economic and energy security,” he said.
Within nine weeks, operatives intensified surveillance across critical border communities, leading to the seizure of 1,630 jerry-cans of PMS of 25 litres each, totalling 40,750 litres with a Duty Paid Value of ₦40.75 million.
Aliyu warned that the border corridors of Owode Apa, Seme, and Badagry remain sensitive economic arteries and that there will be no safe haven for economic saboteurs.
The intercepted tankers were handed over to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority for regulatory action.
The Authority’s representative, Grace Dauda, expressed satisfaction with the synergy between the Service and other agencies, reiterating its mandate to ensure petroleum products meant for domestic consumption are not diverted outside the country.
The seized PMS contained in the jerry-cans was auctioned to the public in accordance with extant regulations, underscoring the Service’s commitment to transparency and proper asset disposal.
