The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Sokoto/Zamfara Command has auctioned 25,162 litres of seized petrol to the public in Sokoto State.

Mr Kamal Muhammed, the Area Controller, stated this while addressing newsmen in Sokoto on Wednesday.

According to Muhammed, the auction is in line with extant laws and the approval of the Comptroller General of Customs, Mr Bashir Adeniyi.

“A few weeks ago, under the directive of the Comptroller General, we auctioned 11,270 liters of PMS intercepted by operatives of Operation Whirlwind.

“However, due to the intensified clampdown on smugglers of petroleum products, the service seized 55,164 liters of PMS within the period under review.

“This is with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of about N39 million,” Muhammed said.

The area controller explained that the price difference of petrol between Nigeria and other West African countries made smuggling of the product a profitable venture for the smugglers.

“Even with the subsidy removal, Nigeria remains among the countries with the cheapest PMS.

“PMS is sold at an average of N701.99 per liter in Nigeria, while in Cameroon it is sold at N2,061.55, in Mali at N2,128.20, and in the Republic of Benin at N1,672.05,” he stated.

Muhammed added that the smuggling of PMS has continued to create artificial scarcity in some parts of the country.

“This has also added an additional burden on the country’s scarce foreign exchange used to import the product,” he added.

He said that the auction to the general public was at a token of N180 per liter.

Muhammed assured that the service would continue to protect Nigeria’s economic interests with dedication, justice, and integrity.

Delivering the Comptroller General’s message to smugglers, he stated, “the NCS will run you out of your illegitimate business.”