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Posted By MrCover On October 24th, 2025

The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, through its special enforcement arm, Operation Whirlwind, has sealed a fuel station located along the Owode-Apa axis of Badagry, Lagos State, over alleged involvement in the smuggling of petroleum products across the Nigeria-Benin Republic border.

Speaking with journalists in Badagry on Friday, the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind and Assistant Comptroller General of Customs in charge of Finance and Administration, Kola Oladeji, confirmed that the facility, identified as Adeola Ade PLC, was shut down earlier in October following intelligence reports and subsequent investigations.

According to Oladeji, preliminary findings revealed multiple infractions that contravened Nigeria’s petroleum retail and distribution regulations.

“It is with a deep sense of duty and national commitment that I formally hand over the sealed filling station, Adeola Ade PLC, located along Owode-Apa Road, Badagry, Lagos State, to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, for further investigation and possible sanctions,” he stated.

Oladeji explained that Operation Whirlwind, acting on credible intelligence, sealed the facility on October 4, 2025, after confirming irregularities inconsistent with lawful petroleum trade practices.

He emphasized that the operation was carried out professionally and transparently, in line with the Service’s mandate to sanitize the downstream oil sector.

“Our officers acted within the confines of the law, guided by our duty to rid the downstream sector of sharp practices, protect consumers, and preserve the integrity of Nigeria’s energy infrastructure,” he said.

The Customs chief reiterated that the enforcement drive was part of a broader inter-agency collaboration to combat fuel smuggling and safeguard national economic interests.

“We recognize that regulatory enforcement is a shared responsibility,” Oladeji added. “By handing this facility over to the NMDPRA, the statutory body empowered to ensure compliance, we reaffirm our commitment to due process, accountability, and sectoral integrity.”

He also warned operators in the petroleum sector against non-compliance with national regulations, stressing that the NCS and other relevant agencies would sustain their coordinated crackdown on illegal fuel trading.

“Let this serve as a clear message: non-compliance will not be tolerated. Collaboration among enforcement agencies will continue to strengthen oversight and ensure that offenders face appropriate sanctions,” he concluded.

Source: https://dailypost.ng/2025/10/24/customs-shuts-lagos-filling-station-over-alleged-smuggling-to-benin-republic/