Customs, Navy, Others Collaborate to Check Petroleum Smuggling
CUSTOMS OFFICIALS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF OTHER AGENCIES...
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) through Operation Whirlwind (OPSWW), Nigerian Navy (NN), and Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) have strengthened their commitment to enhanced inter-agency collaboration in combating the diversion and cross-border smuggling of petroleum products.
This was the focus of a two-day stakeholders’ workshop on joint collaboration held from 17 to 18 September 2026 at Four Points by Sheraton, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, with the theme: “Strengthening Inter-Agency Coordination and Operational Effectiveness in Combating the Cross-Border Diversion and Smuggling of Petroleum Products.”
Presenting the Nigeria Customs Service position, the National Coordinator, Operation Whirlwind, Deputy Comptroller A. L. Aliyu, highlighted the history, operational structure, achievements and challenges of OPSWW, as well as strategies for addressing emerging threats.
He disclosed that since its establishment in May 2024, Operation Whirlwind has intercepted over four million litres of petroleum products, recorded 675 seizure reports, intercepted 75 trucks, and seized 155,000 25-litre jerrycans and 1,254 drums, with a total estimated Duty Paid Value of ₦3.6 billion.
The presentation also highlighted the roles of intelligence, legal and geospatial units in strengthening enforcement and accountability.
The Nigerian Navy and NMDPRA participated as key stakeholders, reinforcing the workshop’s emphasis on joint intelligence sharing, coordinated operations and effective regulatory response.
The Customs presentation identified sophisticated smuggling networks, porous borders, difficult terrain, limited surveillance assets and attacks on operatives among the challenges confronting enforcement.
It recommended enhanced personnel training, intelligence-led operations, deployment of drones and other modern technologies, improved logistics, stronger prosecution, public awareness and sustained inter-agency collaboration.
This was the focus of a two-day stakeholders’ workshop on joint collaboration held from 17 to 18 September 2026 at Four Points by Sheraton, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, with the theme: “Strengthening Inter-Agency Coordination and Operational Effectiveness in Combating the Cross-Border Diversion and Smuggling of Petroleum Products.”
Presenting the Nigeria Customs Service position, the National Coordinator, Operation Whirlwind, Deputy Comptroller A. L. Aliyu, highlighted the history, operational structure, achievements and challenges of OPSWW, as well as strategies for addressing emerging threats.
He disclosed that since its establishment in May 2024, Operation Whirlwind has intercepted over four million litres of petroleum products, recorded 675 seizure reports, intercepted 75 trucks, and seized 155,000 25-litre jerrycans and 1,254 drums, with a total estimated Duty Paid Value of ₦3.6 billion.
The presentation also highlighted the roles of intelligence, legal and geospatial units in strengthening enforcement and accountability.
The Nigerian Navy and NMDPRA participated as key stakeholders, reinforcing the workshop’s emphasis on joint intelligence sharing, coordinated operations and effective regulatory response.
The Customs presentation identified sophisticated smuggling networks, porous borders, difficult terrain, limited surveillance assets and attacks on operatives among the challenges confronting enforcement.
It recommended enhanced personnel training, intelligence-led operations, deployment of drones and other modern technologies, improved logistics, stronger prosecution, public awareness and sustained inter-agency collaboration.
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