Over 1,800 stations shut down in Nigeria due to smuggling conflict
Published on: Jun 27, 2024
The local petroleum marketers association has accused the government of seizing fuel tankers and closing outlets suspected of engaging in smuggling activities.
More than 1,800 service stations in Nigeria were shut down across the country’s northeast region to protest against allegations of smuggling by the local government.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) for Adamawa and Taraba states, accused the Nigeria Customs Service of impounding tanker trucks and shutting stations. The entity alleged that the government agency’s decision came on the suspicions of smuggling petrol to Cameroon, as Reuters reported.
Thus, the IPMAN encouraged operators to close their sites in protest against these anti-smuggling operations, forcing drivers to turn to the black market for refueling.
Nigeria’s smuggling conflict has been on the government's agenda for some years now, as this type of operations have been common in Cameroon, Benin and Togo. These territories leveraged Nigeria’s petrol subsidy to smuggle fuel, a policy that was scrapped last year, resulting in a disruption in the black market.
Despite this measure, fuel became cheaper again due to a price cap caused by the country’s economic crisis. This triggered “Operation Whirlwind,” which saw the national Custom Service impounding tanker trucks property of IPMAN members but released them shortly after protests began. As trucks kept being seized and stations were starting to be shut, stationers decided to shut down operations in protest of this initiative.
