The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) have renewed efforts to strengthen inter-agency coordination against the diversion and cross-border smuggling of petroleum products.
The commitment was reinforced at a two-day stakeholders’ workshop held from September 17 to 18, 2026, at Four Points by Sheraton, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.
The workshop, themed, “Strengthening Inter-Agency Coordination and Operational Effectiveness in Combating the Cross-Border Diversion and Smuggling of Petroleum Products,” focused on improving intelligence sharing, operational coordination and regulatory enforcement.
Representing the Nigeria Customs Service, the National Coordinator, Operation Whirlwind, Deputy Comptroller A. L. Aliyu, presented an overview of the initiative, including its structure, operational activities, achievements and challenges since its establishment.
Aliyu disclosed that Operation Whirlwind, launched in May 2024, had intercepted more than four million litres of petroleum products and recorded 675 seizure reports in its enforcement operations.
He added that the operation had intercepted 75 trucks, while 155,000 25-litre jerrycans and 1,254 drums were also seized. The total estimated Duty Paid Value of the intercepted items, he said, stood at about N3.6 billion.
The Customs presentation further highlighted the importance of intelligence, legal processes and geospatial capabilities in improving the effectiveness, accountability and sustainability of anti-smuggling operations.
The workshop also brought together representatives of the Nigerian Navy and NMDPRA as key stakeholders in the petroleum supply chain, with participants stressing the need for stronger intelligence exchange and coordinated responses to emerging smuggling threats.
Among the challenges identified were increasingly sophisticated smuggling networks, porous borders, difficult operational terrain, inadequate surveillance assets and attacks on enforcement personnel.
Participants consequently called for enhanced personnel training, intelligence-led operations, greater deployment of drones and other modern technologies, improved logistics, stronger prosecution of offenders, increased public awareness and sustained collaboration among relevant agencies.