The Nigerian Senate has called on the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to urgently lift the existing restriction on the supply of petroleum products to border communities.
The Senate believes that the removal of fuel subsidies by the federal government has effectively curtailed smuggling activities, and thus, the products should now be allowed to circulate freely without any restrictions.
Additionally, the Senate has urged the offices of the Comptroller General of NCS and NSA to strengthen preventive and enforcement measures to combat all forms of smuggling in the country.
In response to this issue, the Upper Chamber has tasked its Committees on Customs and Excise and National Security and Intelligence (when constituted) to ensure compliance with the directive and report back in four weeks for further legislative action.
The Senate’s resolutions were made in response to a motion titled “Urgent Need to Lift the Restriction Order Placed on Supply of Fuel to Border Communities,” which was sponsored by Senator Olamilekan Adeola of Ogun West, representing the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Senator Adeola informed his colleagues that on November 6, 2019, the federal government, through the Comptroller General of Customs, issued a directive that prohibited the discharge of petroleum products in any filling station within a 20-kilometer radius of Nigeria’s borders.
This measure aimed to combat the smuggling of petroleum products, especially premium motor spirit (PMS), to neighboring countries where the product’s subsidy created a thriving market.
However, since the federal government removed the subsidy on petroleum products on May 29, 2023, Senator Adeola argued that the restriction order was no longer justified.
He highlighted the severe hardships and losses faced by residents and businesses in the affected border communities.
The limited number of licensed petrol stations in these areas proved insufficient to meet the fuel needs of the massive population in these regions.
All senators who contributed to the motion expressed concern over the hardships faced by people living in border communities due to restrictions on fuel and fertilizer, particularly in the northern part of the country.