How fuel smuggling after subsidy removal can be stopped – Customs CG Adeniyi
By Dele Moses, Ilorin
Comptroller General (CG) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adeniyi, has said that the removal of fuel subsidy has not yet discouraged the smuggling of fuel to neighbouring countries.
He said this is because there remain discrepancies in the prices of petroleum products in the country and neighbouring countries.
The customs boss stated this in Ilorin on Monday during his official visit to the Ilorin Area Command of the NCS. He said the higher prices that Nigerian fuel attracts in the neighbouring countries encourage smugglers.
“In Benin Republic, the price of premium motor spirit (otherwise known as petrol) is 695 CFA approximately N1, 700 while the price exceeds N2000 in Cameroon,” he noted.
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Adeniyi, who said the continuation of fuel smuggling constitutes a serious threat to the economy of the nation, called for collective efforts of stakeholders to curb the trend.
He urged communities where smugglers may be hidden to join in the fight by offering the anti-smuggling teams reliable intelligence that could lead to the arrest of the smugglers.
The customs boss said the NCS has integrated advanced technology such as geospatial imaging to track smugglers effectively.
“By utilising real-time satellite imagery, the customs service can identify and intercept smugglers, leading to successful operations in regions like Adamawa State in the north,” he stated.
