Stop alleged auction of 24 seized tankers, petrol marketers ask Customs CG

Petroleum Marketers have petitioned the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NSC), Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), asking him to stop alleged plans to auction 24 tankers seized in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The marketers at the Idi-iroko border area under the aegis of Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) claimed that 24 of their tankers were allegedly impounded by Joint Task Force constituted by the Federal Government.

They alleged that while the task force was implementing the 20km radius directive, its members invade their station in Idi-Iroko and impounded 24 fuel-laden tankers owned by the marketers.

In the petition written by the association’s lawyer, George Oyeniyi, a copy of which was obtained by TribuneOnline, the marketers held that they were reliably informed that the tankers are being auctioned secretly without any court order or public announcement.

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They also urged the CG to investigate the issue in order to douse tension building up at the border part of the state, adding that they may be forced to take legal actions against the services if their demands are not heeded.

The petition reads in part: “Out of 24 trucks, 22 were impounded at their various stations while the other two were forcefully taken on the road by the men of customs.

They explained in the petition that many of the petroleum dealers in the border area had taken the products before the announcement of the 20km directives.

“In view of the recent information at our disposal to the effect that most of the said 24 tanker trucks impounded and seized from our clients by the said men and officers of NCS tagged border drill operation in collaboration with some soldiers in military uniform have taken to the nearby military barracks at Owode where they were being negotiated for auction sale.

“Interesting to note is the fact that the purported auction of our client hard-earned properties was being auctioned secretly without any court order, press conference, or public announcement of the said seizure.

“We have also been informed that some of our clients’ trucks loaded with petroleum products; now found their way to the nearby bush in the dead of the night where the same were being purportedly auctioned to some notorious smugglers.”