Navy reports petrol smuggling at Badagry axis, charges NMDPRA to step up action against smugglers
… as bags of rice become new currency for kegs of petrol smuggled from Nigeria to neighbouring countries
Oredola Adeola
The Nigerian Navy has revealed that Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) is still being smuggled across the country’s borders, specifically the Badagry axis, and has called on the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NMDPRA) to step up actions on monitoring the movement of petroleum products.
Rear Admiral M.B Hassan, the newly appointed Commander of the Nigerian Navy Western Naval Command, made this disclosure when Mr. Ogbugo Ukoha, Executive Director of distribution Systems, Storage, and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), paid him a familiarization visit to deepen collaboration on energy security.
Investigations by EnergyDay showed that the petrol smugglers are engaged in a barter system, exchanging smuggled petrol for rice, which is then brought into Nigeria. This exchange is reported to be taking place with neighboring countries.
According to him, the NMDPRA has to up its game in the regulation of the Nigerian Oil and gas sector.
Rear Admiral Hassan stated that petrol is still being smuggled across the country’s borders, specifically the Badagry axis.
He further charged the Authority to show more presence in monitoring the movement of Petroleum products as the country still loses revenue to illegal operators.
Mr. Ukoha in his address extolled the efforts of the military, especially the Nigerian Navy in maintaining the peace and security in the country.
He stated that Lagos plays a pivotal role in the Nigerian energy sector, particularly in the Midstream/Downstream sub-sector of the economy.
The ED observed that the navy and NMDPRA have maintained a robust collaborative relationship and called for more areas of cooperation in ensuring that the country is not thrown into an energy crisis during the Yuletide season.
The Nigerian Navy’s Commanding Officer of the forward operating base (FOB) in Badagry, Adams Aliu, has issued a stern warning to the Petroleum Dealers Association (PDA) regarding the sale of petrol to smugglers.
Aliu has emphasized the seriousness of the situation and has threatened to take legal action, if necessary, to prevent the smuggling of petrol.
He has specifically pointed out that the marketers are providing products from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to individuals involved in smuggling the product to neighboring countries.
Aliu has firmly instructed the association to comply with the federal government’s directive, which prohibits the sale of products intended for the Nigerian market to those involved in smuggling.
