FG deploys over 120 DSS officers in Abuja to stop fuel smuggling

The Federal Government said it deployed over 120 Department of State Services, DSS, officers in Abuja to checkmate the smuggling of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popularly known as petrol.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, and the Chief Executive of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, made this disclosure during a television programme on Thursday monitored by newsmen.

According to Kyari, the government is optimistic that its efforts will yield the expected results and address fuel scarcity.

“The security agencies are now fully involved in combating cross-border fuel smuggling; for instance, in Abuja alone, we have over 120 DSS officers following every truck to fuel stations, and we are activating this across the country.

“We are ensuring that we get other government security agencies to follow these trucks to their locations, to be very sure that these trucks get to the fuel stations and they are not sold on the way, and they don’t cross the borders,” he said.

On his part, NMDPRA’s boss, Ahmed, disclosed that it shut down over 270 filling stations and depots contributing to Nigeria’s fuel scarcity.

“On top of shutting the depots, we also shut down over 270 retail outlets. We are doing our work, which brought some respite in some areas,” he said.