NSCDC hands over 8 trucks of PMS intercepted to DPR in Niger State

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna.

Niger State Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has received diverted eight trucks containing 469,000 litres of PMS intercepted by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC).
It said the intercepted trucks of PMS would be sold to the general public at official price of N145 per litre with proceed to federal government.
Deputy Director in charge of downstream sector of DPR, Usman Ndanusa, disclosed this while speaking to the press at the weekend after taken possession of the trucks at trade fair complex in Minna.
Ndanusa said that the arrests were made following tip off by concerned Nigerians who had followed the activities of the smugglers for some time especially the DPR and NSCDC.
He said the activities of those smuggling the product across the boarders was largely responsible for the current scarcity being experienced across the country.
The state Operations Controller, Engr. Abdullahi Isah Jankara noted that this is the major seizure in several attempts said that the success was due to a tip off from a collaboborative effort.
Jankara decried the porousness of some border towns especially that of Babana, adding that Babana had between 13 to 15 licensed marketers and one of the arrest with 40,000 litres was meant for Babana but supposed to register in Minna before proceed to its destination.
He called for public support to the agency and security agencies in curbing the menace of smuggling of the product to neigbouring countries.
The operatives NSCDC, Niger state Command last week had intercepted eight trucks of the commodity in Mokwa, the headquarters of Mokwa local government of the state heading to Babana towards Benin Republic.
The eight trucks arrested contain 469, 000 litres of petroleum motor spirit (PMS) which were meant for Niger and Kebbi states but was being diverted to neighboring Benin Republic through Babana boarde.