The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has auctioned 2,150 Jerry cans of intercepted smuggled Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol.
The petroleum products worth over N10 million were intercepted last December in joint operations by the Seme Customs and the Federal Operations Unit alongside other government agencies.
Also, the service auction 780 out of the 2,150 Jerry cans to the general public while 1370 were shared among security agencies. Speaking to journalists, the Customs Area Controller of the unit, Compt.
Mohammed Uba Garba said the service decided to auction the petroleum products at city centre in other to prevent the smugglers from having access to the auction at the border. He stated that the proceeds of the sales will be paid into the treasury of the federal government.
“What you can see behind us here is 2,150 jerry cans of 25 litres of petroleum products that were intercepted by customs at Seme axis. The product were meant to be snuggled out of the country but were jointly intercepted by Customs and other security agencies.
“The service decides to bring it to the city to auction it because auctioning in Seme means the smugglers can come from behind to get it and continue to smuggle so we decide to bring it to the city to a place where it will be auction at N2000 per Jerry can.”
The CAC also stated that other security agencies in the country would also be given the petroleum products free of charge because of their contribution to the fight against smuggling.
“The CG is magnanimous to say that part of the auction seized should be given to sister agencies like police, immigration prisons, Army, DSS among other agencies of government.
“They have contributed immensely to fighting economic sabotage so that is why we are here to give the police, prisons re service. They should use it for their operational vehicles as they help to ght economic saboteurs.
Also, the amount made will be paid in to the national treasury,” said Garba. Reading the riot act to smugglers, the Comptroller said the service won’t allow economic saboteurs to in ict hardship on Nigerians.
