By Stephen Ubanna
In spite of the funding and logistics support being enjoyed by Kehinde Hussain Ejibunu, an Assistant Customs Comptroller General, and National Coordinator, Operation Whirlwind, set up by Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs, in May 2024, ‘’to combat the smuggling of petroleum products, across Nigeria’s land border space, seas, creeks and watersides, the Team appears to be making waves in the north eastern states of Adamawa and Taraba.
For the almost one year that the special ad hoc team had been ground, to stop the smuggling of petroleum products across the nation’s Land sea borders with the West African neighbouring countries of the Republic of Benin, Niger, Chad and the Central African country of Cameroun butnot much appears to have been seen of the team’s operations in the north western states of Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and the north central state of Kwara, Niger ort the south state of Cross river, AkwIbom or the south western state of Oyo or around the Seme Jurisdictions, in Lagos state.
Many believes that it may not be for want of trying but because of the tight security and effective border control that had had been mounted by the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone B, Kaduna, under the close watch of Compt. Bello Ahmadou Shuaibu, and his Counterpart at Seme Command, Compt. Ben Nkem Oramalugo, Ph.D.
Compt. Shuaibu, may have carved a niche for himself as an anti-smuggler Czar, as theofficer in charge of the Operation Unit of the FOU, Zone C, during the Administration of the then Compt. Kayode Olusemire, who was said to have retired from the service as an ACG, as he was said to have dealt ruthlessly with the Petrol and foreign rice smugglers around the Oron, Ikom and Bakassi axis.
The Customs Comptroller was said to have reintroduced the same anti-smuggling strategy in blocking the flashpoint border Communities in Cross river and Akwa Ibom states to forestall smuggling of petrol products from Nigerian to Comeroun to Ogun I, Idirokoko, home state of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, blocking the over 90 illegal borders used by the smugglers to carry out their nefarious activities.
He was said to have read the riot act to the various Patrol Teams Leaders in the north central states of Kwara, Niger, Kogi, Benue, Plateau and FCT , including the north western states of Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kebbi States as the Area Controller of FOU, Zone B, Kaduna to ensure that the the Land botrder Communities within the Command areas of operations are closely monitored.
Acting out the script of the Customs Area Controller to ensure that no Contraband, drug , arms and ammunition enters into the country through Niger and Benin Republic or petroleum products being smuggled out from Nigeria to these countries, the Land border transit routes within the two regions under its control were effectively blocked.
Compt. Ben Nkem Oramalugo, now Area Controller, Seme Command, may have taken a cue from the former Ogun I, Area Comptroller to tighten up border security around the saki, Iseyin, axis of Oyo state and other border Communities between Oyo, Osun and Kwara sates.
The Customs Chief may have taken the bold initiative to intensify monitoring of its areas of jurisdictions in then Oyo and Osun axis because there are Communities in the two south western states which share borders with Communities in Baruten and Pategi Local Government Areas of Kwara state which shares borders with Niger and Benin Republic, used by the petrol smugglers .
Until, the Customs Comptroller was redeployed to Seme Command, on February 11, 2025, the petrol products seizures within the Oyo/Osun, areas were said to have been made by the Command operations officers, leaving out the operation whirlwind out of it. The no nosense Compt. Oramalugo, was said to have continue the interception and seizure of Petroleum production around the Seme Juristiction superintended by Semand Command, with the seizure of 240 JerrycaNS , 25 litres each, load with PMS, for the Republic of Benin market.
Although Operation Whirlwind Customs officers are making waves in Adamawa, home state of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, during President Olusegun Obsanjo’s Administration and Taraba , to make petrol seizures , the same could not be said of Borno and Yobe states.
This may not be unconnected to the activities of the Islamic Fundamentalist Group, BokoHaram and the Islamic State of West African Province, ISCAP, in the two north eastern states, thus forcing the special adhoc team under the Leadership of Ejibunu, to concentrate much of their operational efforts in Adamawa and Taraba, Gen. Theophilous Danjuma, a former minister of Defence , during former President Obasanjo’s Administration because of the pronounced military presence in the states to strike at the border transit routes with Cameroun at will to make petrol seizures , with little or no resistance from the smugglers.
Only recently, ACG. Ejibunu, led Operation Whirlwind, had struck at Kan-Iyaka transit route unto Cameroun, in Sardauna Local Government Area of araba state and confiscated a total of 34,40 litres, equivalent of 1,149 Jerrycans of petrol, valued a about N 37,780,600.00.
An elated ACG. Ejibunu, who many believe has effectively taken over control of the transit routes in Adama and Taraba states, unto the Central African country of Cameroun, by relegating the FOU, Zone D, Bauchi, and Adamawa/Taraba Command, Interventionist officers to the background, had said that the adhoc Team operatives also seized a special purpose transportation truck used for smuggling.
The Customs ACG, who had been on the trail of the Petroleum products smugglers over the last couple of months in Adamawa and Taraba states, had said that the Taraba operation was carried out in partnership with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, with technical support from the office of Nuhu Ribadu, an Assistant Inspector General of Police. AIG, rtd and former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and now National Security Adviser, NSA, to President Tinubu.
In making the Jerrycans of peroleum products seizures, ACG.Ejibunu, had revealed that their inter-agency intelligence fusion center, had identified’’ unusual movement patterns across Dorofi and Kan-Iyaka axis’’ between March 8 and 9, 2025.
Acting on the intelligence gathering, he had said that the field teams, have no option but to execute series of coordinated interceptions that was said to have disrupted what appears to be an emerging smuggling corridor in the north eastern state, thus sending a message to the petrol smugglers and their sponsors that the game is up.
The National Coordinator of the Operation whirlwind, was said to have told those that cares to listen that ‘’the bulk interception of the seized Jerrycans of Petroleum products , 25itres each, were seized at Gembu , described as one of ‘’the critical modal point’’ used by the smugglers to carry out their nefarious activities while 180 Jerrycans and the vehicle used as a means of conveyance were intercepted during active movement of officers toward Kan-Iyaka border crossing into Cmeroun.
Notwithstanding the appreciable efforts currently being made by ACG. Ejibunu, led Operation Whirlwind in Adamawa and Taraba states, security experts would want the special team to devote the same time and resources used to get informants to assist them with information to strike in the north eastern states in other parts of the Federation , particular in the flashpoint north western states and the north central states of Kwara and Niger including the other north eastern states of Borno and Yobe because of the support from the Presidency. They noted that it is not enough for the team to always make seizures in Adamawa and Taraba and invite the CGC, to speak to Press about the seizures, insisting that there are so many porous routs used by the smugglers, particular, in Kbbi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina, used by the Petrol smugglers.
The situation is so bad in Katsina that former President Muhammadu Buhari, had said that only Almight God will man the over 1,500, illegal routes between Nigeria and Niger. Let us hope that ACG Ejibunu, will take theadvise serious to decentarlise the Operation Whirlwind operations from Adama and Taraba states to other border states transit routes unto the neighbouring countries with Nigeria.
