The Nigeria Police Force says it has intercepted more than 100 jerrycans of petrol and arrested several suspects during a crackdown on smugglers and criminal gangs along the country’s borders.
Force spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, said in a statement on Friday that operatives stopped smugglers trying to move 103 jerrycans of petrol out of Nigeria to Cameroon and Benin Republic.
“Sixty of the jerrycans, loaded in a Toyota Starlet en route to Cameroon, were intercepted at Mubi in Adamawa State, while 43 others carried on three motorcycles were seized along a bush path to Benin Republic,” Hundeyin explained.
He added that two trucks filled with fuel were also recovered at Gembu in Taraba State after smugglers abandoned them during a hot chase. In Katsina, a motorcyclist trying to move petrol into Niger Republic dumped his consignment on sighting the police.
Hundeyin said the crackdown also led to the arrest of armed criminals.
“At Ikom in Cross River State, two suspects were arrested with locally made pistols concealed in their vehicle. At Imeko in Ogun State, operatives recovered a pump-action rifle with 10 live cartridges, along with 20 wraps of cannabis,” he said.
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The police also disrupted human trafficking. At Illela in Sokoto State, two suspected traffickers were arrested while attempting to take a 25-year-old victim into Niger Republic. In Bachaka, four suspects, including two women, were stopped while heading to Libya and Italy without valid travel documents. The victims were rescued and placed under protective care.
Recovered items also included stolen and smuggled vehicles. A Toyota Corolla suspected to have been stolen in Niger Republic was seized at Jibia, Katsina State, while another suspect was arrested with a Toyota Carina loaded with cartons of drugs. In Oyo, police recovered a smuggled Nissan Micra, and in Daura, officers caught a suspect with 26 stolen Android phones.
Hundeyin stressed that the operations weaken criminal networks.
“These coordinated operations attest to the unflinching devotion of the Nigeria Police Force to safeguarding national security, protecting the economy, and ensuring the safety of Nigerians across all border corridors,” he said.