Customs CG Warns Smugglers After Attack On Officers, Announces ₦95.7m Seizure In Adamawa, Taraba

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has issued a firm warning to smugglers and violent mobs following a brutal ambush on Customs officers in Adamawa State. The CG, represented by Deputy Comptroller General Kenyide Ejibunu, addressed the press on Thursday in Yola, vowing that attacks on Customs personnel will no longer be tolerated under his leadership.

The incident, which occurred on July 16, 2025, in Murjara, Mubi South LGA, saw officers of “Operation Whirlwind” assaulted by smugglers and local accomplices. According to Ejibunu, the attackers barricaded roads with dangerous objects, physically assaulted officers with stones, sticks, and daggers, and attempted to set an operational vehicle ablaze after dousing it with fuel.

“This was not mere resistance, it was a premeditated attempt to destroy lives and disrupt lawful enforcement,” Ejibunu said, confirming that Operative Isah Mohammed was severely injured. One of the attackers reportedly died from a ricocheted bullet during crowd dispersal efforts.

Citing Section 240 (3)(a) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, Ejibunu stressed that anyone found obstructing or assaulting Customs officers faces up to ₦5 million in fines, five years’ imprisonment, or both.

“This act of violence is a direct affront to the rule of law and a betrayal of the social contract. No grievance, however justified it may seem, warrants bloodshed,” he stated.

Massive Petroleum Seizure Worth ₦95.7m

In a related development, Ejibunu revealed that within six weeks, NCS operatives intercepted a massive smuggling ring moving petroleum products through flashpoints in Adamawa and Taraba. The seizures included:

2,276 jerricans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)

19 jerricans of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO)

69,375 litres total

Two vehicles used for conveyance

The intercepted goods, worth ₦95,695,000 in duty-paid value, were bound for illegal export, threatening both the nation’s economy and safety of border communities.

“These were not isolated incidents. These smugglers are part of a coordinated network undermining Nigeria’s economic lifeline,” Ejibunu warned.

He emphasized that Operation Whirlwind remains vigilant, noting that petroleum product diversion has ripple effects, spiking fuel scarcity, enabling cross-border black markets, and weakening national revenue.

In a move to ease local fuel burdens, the CG ordered that the seized petroleum be sold directly to the public at ₦10,000 per 25-litre jerrican, a price significantly below prevailing black-market rates.

“We will not fold our arms while those who are meant to build this country tear it apart for personal gain,” Ejibunu concluded, calling for greater community support, intelligence sharing, and zero tolerance for anti-enforcement hostility.