Amid speculations that Nigeria exported 300 trucks of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to the Niger Republic, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said yesterday they were oblivious of the development.
NMDPRA’s Head of Public Affairs George Ene-Ita, NNPCL’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye and NCS’ Head of Public Affairs Abdullahi Maiwada, made the denial when contacted on the issue
“There are no records from any of our storage depots in the coastal areas or receiving depots further inland to show that any petroleum products have been supplied to Niger Republic,” Ene- Ita, said in a text message.
While Maiwada also said Customs has “ no record of any export of petrol to the Niger Republic,’’ Soneye simply replied: “I’m not aware.”
A top source in Customs, a Federal Government agency, in charge of excise on export and import, said there was no way 300 trucks would cross any Nigerian border without being detected.
‘’How can 300 trucks laden with petrol pass through our borders without being seen? It is simply impossible,’’ he said.
The source added that since sanction was imposed on the Niger Republic by the Economic Community of West Africa State (ECOWAS), Customs beefed up surveillance of all its borders with Nigeria.
ECOWAS slammed the sanction after Presidential Guard Commander Abdourahamane Tchiani, who proclaimed himself leader of the country in July 2023, declined to reinstate the government of President Mohamed Bazoum.
The Nation had earlier gathered that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Oil) has been trying to confirm the news of the export from the NMDPRA since it broke on Saturday.
It was also learnt that the agency’s Chief Executive, Engr. Farouk Ahmed, who would have spoken with the ministry has been on the lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) that the ministry reached out to confirm the deal said they were unaware of it.
It was also gathered from an industry source that the OMCs saw the reported export as a deal that would open a business window for them.
