Customs operatives intercepted a tanker carrying petrol diverted from its approved destination in Borno.
Officers suspect it was headed for illegal export and have launched further investigations to continue.
Operatives of Operation Whirlwind under the Nigeria Customs Service have stopped a tanker loaded with 60,000 litres of petrol that was reportedly diverted from its approved destination in Borno State. The truck was intercepted near a border route in Kebbi State after officers suspected it was on its way out of the country.
The tanker, marked NSR26ZL, was said to have been assigned to deliver fuel in Borno. Customs officials explained that further checks revealed the driver had diverted the product and attempted to take it to Kebbi where it might be illegally exported.
Addressing journalists at the Customs Area Command in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday, Comptroller Mahmoud Matawalle Ibrahim, who spoke for the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, ACG Dr. Kola Oladeji, said the discovery was part of ongoing efforts to stop fuel smuggling and protect national supplies.
He stated that the fuel and the truck, estimated at more than N60 million, have been transferred to the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority for proper investigation and follow-up actions. According to him, the success of the operation shows the resolve of Customs to ensure that petroleum products reach the intended communities within Nigeria.
Receiving the seized tanker, Deputy Manager of the Authority for Kebbi and Sokoto States, Ali Ajimi, confirmed that officials will continue the process to determine how the diversion happened and take necessary steps to prevent similar incidents.
