Reps Probe Customs Over Auctioned Petroleum Products 

The Ad Hoc Committee on the Volume of Fuel Consumed Daily in Nigeria of the House of Representatives has asked the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to provide details of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) seized and auctioned by the agency.
This followed request by the Comptroller-General of the NSC, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd.), for a court order to enable the Service auction other petroleum products except petrol during an appearance before the Committee.
Responding to questions on imported petroleum products being smuggled to neighboring countries, Ali, who was represented at the appearance by the Deputy Comptroller General (Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection), Etim Edorhe, said the NCS was doing its best towards achieving its mandate.
“Customs is not folding its hands, we are doing our work. The borders are there, we have the joint border patrol in place.
“Yes, we are daily intercepting these items as they attempt to move out. Some of them in tankers, some of them in drums, then in jerry cans. And some of these smugglers have this ingenuity of having petroleum products in polymer bags that you would not know.
“But daily, we seize them. We are always ahead of whatever method they adopt. I just told you, I took record of what happened in 2021, which I am going to give to you.
“In 2021, a total of 2,278,297 litres and with a duty paid value to the tune of N501,514,178,692.50 was intercepted”, he stated.
The NCS boss, however, explained that the seized petroleum products do not require a court injunction before being auctioned.
“When you intercept inflammable products, you don’t keep them because of the possibility of fire around the premises. So, such items are auctioned and the money paid into the Federation Account”, he said.
In his contribution, a member of the Committee, Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, said the lawmakers should probe the seizures and auctions, “so we can satisfy the public that these things were properly managed.”
Speaking, Chairman of the Committee, Abdulkadir Abdullahi, in his ruling, said, “The product seized, the auctions, the payments and the auctioneers and those who bought (the auctioned petroleum products) should be made available to us.

“We don’t want to leave any stone unturned so that we can look at these things critically and positively. He came with the list of the seized products but he didn’t give us an orderly. So, I ask that he gives it to us so we can also cross-check. He may wish to tender that”.

In his respy, the Customs boss promised to provide the requested details from 2015 to 2021, for which he was given seven days.

“Give us the full details of the products seized, auctioned, the auctioneers, the volume, the value ad any other related matter to this application”,  Abdullahi directed.