By Babatunde Aremu
National security Adviser to the President, Nuhu Ribadu has commended the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi for his commitment to tightening surveillance across Nigeria’s borders to curb petroleum product smuggling.
The NSA gave this commendation at a high powered stakeholders meeting held in his office, Abuja , FCT
In a fast move to tackle the menace of petroleum smuggling ,the NSA has formed a combined force of security agencies and stakeholders .
He described petroleum smuggling as a “cancer that kills,” stating that it drains vital resources needed for national development and undermines government revenue.
Ribadu, however, stressed that the nation’s security apparatus must agree to work together to tackle the smuggling menace, which, according to him, oil smugglers will continue to destabilise the oil sector and foster illegal activities across the country’s borders if not properly addressed.
The meeting was attended by representatives of all security agencies and key stakeholders in the petroleum sector, including the Nigerian Army, the Navy, the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).
Other stakeholders at the meeting were Executive Secretary, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), National President, Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), representative of the Executive Secretary, Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), and Chief of Staff, Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN).
Head of Operation Whirlwind, a special unit of Nigeria Customs Service task with arresting petroleum product smuggling, Compt. Hussein Ejibunu, speaking during the meeting
In his remarks, Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi emphasised the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to fulfilling its legal mandate, especially in light of the NCS Act 2023, which according to him, empowers the agency to enforce strict measures against smuggling activities across the country.
CGC Adeniyi, who acknowledged the complexity of petroleum products smuggling, reiterated the Customs Service’s resolve to address the challenge, pointing to recent operations, led by Comptroller Ejibunu, which were aimed at dismantling smuggling syndicates.
He said: “What we are doing here today is a clear demonstration of the good intentions of the Office of the National Security Adviser, which has provided us with a platform to mount and execute special operations against smuggling”
“The repositioning of Nigeria’s economy and the oil sector is a crucial objective, and as an organisation, the Nigeria Customs Service is ready to play its role in achieving this.”
The Customs Boss explained that the Service is leveraging innovative technologies to enhance border security, stating that “One key initiative is the integration of real-time monitoring systems, similar to those used by Dubai Customs, which have successfully employed blockchain technology to track and authenticate oil and gas movements.”
He also urged stakeholders to focus on transparency and accountability throughout the petroleum supply chain.