The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has intercepted a total of 103 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, during various operations across the country and its borders.
The NPF Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, noting that the breakthroughs recorded highlight the police’s sustained crackdown on economic saboteurs and cross-border criminal gangs in the country.
“At Gembu in Taraba State, two trucks fully loaded with PMS were abandoned by fleeing smugglers after a hot chase by Border Patrol Operatives of the Gembu border point. Similarly, along a bush path linking Nigeria with the Benin Republic, three motorcycles laden with 43 jerrycans of PMS were intercepted, while at Mubi in Adamawa State, Border Patrol personnel impounded a Toyota Starlet conveying 60 jerrycans of PMS en route to Cameroon.
“In another incident at Jibia, Katsina State, a motorcyclist attempting to smuggle PMS into the Niger Republic abandoned his contraband and escaped on sighting police patrols. In addition to these economic sabotage cases, the Unit has also made substantial strides in its offensive against armed criminals,” the statement reads in part.
CSP Hundeyin revealed that two suspects were arrested with locally made pistols carefully concealed in their vehicle in the Ikon area of Cross River State.
He affirmed that the operatives recovered a pump-action rifle with ten live cartridges, along with 20 wraps of cannabis abandoned by traffickers at Imeko, Ogun State.
The spokesperson disclosed that the clampdown also led the operatives to disrupt human trafficking syndicates in Sokoto State and Bachaka, Kebbi State.
“At Illela, Sokoto State, a 48-year-old suspected trafficker and an accomplice were arrested while attempting to traffic a 25-year-old victim into the Niger Republic. Similarly, in Bachaka, four suspects, including two females, were intercepted en route to Libya and Italy through the Niger Republic without valid travel documents. The victims were promptly rescued and placed under protective custody.”
He continued: “Further operations led to the interception of stolen and smuggled vehicles. At Jibia, Katsina State, officers attached to Border Patrol recovered a blue Toyota Corolla suspected to have been stolen in the Niger Republic, while in Daura, another suspect was arrested with a Toyota Carina loaded with cartons of illicit drugs.
“In Oyo State, a Nissan Micra smuggled from the Benin Republic was also recovered, and at Daura again, an arrest was made of a suspect in possession of 26 suspected stolen Android phones while attempting to cross into the Niger Republic.”
Hundeyin added that the operatives in Mubi, Adamawa State, investigated and apprehended a notorious trans-border burglar known for motorcycle theft and serial shop break-ins, further weakening the supply chain of cross-border criminality.
He said that the successful operations reaffirm the NPF‘s commitment to safeguarding national security, protecting the economy, and ensuring the safety of Nigerians across all border corridors.
Commenting on the successes recorded, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the gallantry of Border Patrol personnel.
IGP Egbetokun assured that the Force would sustain intelligence-led policing, strengthen inter-agency and cross-border synergy, and intensify operations until all criminal networks are fully dismantled.
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