Operation Whirlwind intercepts two fuel-laden boats in one of Adamawa’s biggest anti-smuggling busts this year..
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 108,775 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) allegedly being smuggled through the River Benue into Cameroon, marking one of the largest anti-fuel smuggling operations recorded in Adamawa State in recent months.
The interception, which took place in the early hours of Thursday, November 6, 2025, was conducted by operatives of Operation Whirlwind under the leadership of its National Coordinator, Assistant Comptroller-General Kolapo Oladeji.
The development was confirmed in a statement by Customs, posted Saturday on the Service’s official X handle.
According to Oladeji, the breakthrough followed a covert surveillance mission mounted near Ribadu Loading Bay, a location long identified as a key corridor for illicit fuel movements toward Cameroon.
“As the smugglers began transferring the products onto the vessel, the Customs team advanced and ordered them to halt,” Oladeji said.
“Given the terrain and visibility challenges, operatives prioritised securing the contraband and preventing the boat from escaping across the international waterway.”
Second fuel-laden vessel discovered
A coordinated sweep of the surrounding area, conducted with support from the North-Eastern Marine Command, led to the discovery of another wooden boat already packed with drums and jerrycans of petrol.
Both vessels were subsequently piloted to the Jimeta waterside in Yola, where their contents were offloaded into trucks and transported to a secured Customs facility for documentation.
A full inventory revealed:
- 485 drums of 220 litres each
- 83 jerrycans of 25 litres each
- Totaling 108,775 litres of PMS
Oladeji noted that due to the highly volatile nature of the seized product, a public auction in line with NCS regulations has been recommended to Customs Headquarters for immediate approval.
Smuggling threatens national energy security
The Operation Whirlwind commander said the bust underscores Customs’ renewed drive to curb petroleum smuggling, an activity that undermines Nigeria’s economic stability and exacerbates cross-border fuel shortages.
He added that smuggling of PMS across Nigeria’s northern and eastern waterways has remained a persistent threat, as traffickers ferry large quantities of subsidised fuel into neighbouring countries for profit.
The latest operation follows a similar enforcement action last month in which the Adamawa and Taraba Commands seized donkey skins, Tramadol, foreign soaps, and petroleum products valued at over N112.5 million.
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