‘NSA Authorizes Re-opening of Fuel Stations Flagged For Illegal Bunkering’ – JBPT

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) led Joint Borders Patrol Team (JBPT) Sector 2, South West Zone, has said that sealing and unsealing of petroleum filling stations in the zone over activities of illegal fuel bunkering is known to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

According to officials of the JBPT otherwise also known as Border Drill, the ONSA is not only aware of every operation about sealing and unsealing of culpable dealers, but authorizes such operations.

While customs seat officers in charge of operations have washed their hands off the brisk business of fuel smuggling, there are reports that identified fuel stations involved always returns to the lucrative illegal business after alleged settlements; put at between N3million to N7million per station, per indictment.

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According to one of the Officers-in-Charge, “No filling station is sealed without the knowledge of the National Security Adviser, because we operate under the NSA. All the records are with them, we don’t also reopen sealed filling stations without approval, so the NSA Office has all the reports.”

Also reacting, an administrative customs officer at the office of the Border Drill in Ikeja Lagos told our reporter that only the Sector Coordinator can speak on the matter when our reporter called on phone to get comment to balance his report. The officer promised to let the coordinator know about our the inquiry and to get back, but which was not done for more two weeks up until going to press.

Dependable grapevine report  indicate that two of such filling stations located within the Badagry axis of the zone which were shut down recently at different times by men of the border drill were each, unsealed  less than 24 hours after reported settlements by their respective owners.

One of the two stations was reportedly sealed and unsealed twice, between December and April 2023, even as there are indications that a number of other rogues fillings stations within the Owode, Idiroko, Ilaro, Papalanto, Ohumbe locations involved in the deal usually sorts out and return to their brisk businesses, even as the nation continues to pay scandalous subsidy figures to make these products affordable but which ends up being smuggled.

In a related development, the Sector Coordinator, Comptroller M.N Usman, Friday said since assuming control about a month ago, the team has made a total seizure of 11, 419 items with Duty Paid Value(DPV) of Three Hundred and Twenty Seven Million, Six Hundred and Thirty Nine Thousand, Four Hundred Naira (N327,639,400:00k) in addition to auction sales of about Six Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty Nine Thousand, Five Hundred Naira (N6,789,500:00k).

Comptroller Usman who resumed on 12th of April, 2023, said the above mentioned seizures were made between the day he resumed and 26th May, 2023.

“Within a month of my resumption, a total of 11, 419 items with Duty Paid Value of Three Hundred and Twenty – Seven Million, Six Hundred and Thirty – Nine Thousand, Four Hundred Naira only (N327,639,400:00k) and Auction Value of about Six Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty – Nine Thousand, Five Hundred Naira only(N6,789,500:00k) have been made.”

He listed the items impounded to include foreign parboiled,

Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), used tyres, 17 vehicles (used as means of conveyances), contraband clothing, illicit substances amongst others.