By Matthew Tabe
The Nigeria Customs Service has seized 33,390 litres of petrol during a routine patrol on the Badagry waterways in Lagos State.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Seme Command spokesperson, Hussain Abdullahi on Sunday in Badagry.
Mr Bello Jibo, Comptroller, Customs Area Command at Seme Border Area was quoted in the statement that the seizure had a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N8,808,280.
He added that the Command’s surveillance and patrols in creeks and beaches in Badagry and its environs on Wednesday led to the seizure of 1,113 jerry cans of petrol of 30 litres each, equivalent to 33,390 litres.
Jibo said with Wednesday’s seizure, the Command had seized 930,140 litres of petrol; about 28 tanker-loads of 33,000 litres each from January to date.
“The combined DPV of the petrol stands at N167,722,751.51.
“The seizure with a DPV of N8,808,280 was made in the late hours of Wednesday, Dec.8, 2022,’’ he said.
Jibo described the seizure as unprecedented in the history of the Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service and reiterated the commitment of the officers to continue to make smuggling unattractive.
He stressed that the command would not succumb to blackmail by economic saboteurs who believed that they could succeed in carrying out their nefarious activities by spreading falsehood about the Command.
Jibo assured Nigerians engaged in legitimate businesses in the area of the Command’s support.