Operatives of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have intercepted two tankers laden with poorly produced Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), popularly called diesel, in Ijebu-Ode area of Ogun State.
The acting Controller of the unit, Hussein Ejibunu, said that after studying the documents used to convey the product and analysing samples, it was discovered that the papers were forged and the diesel of poor standard.
He said customs wrote to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to verify the status of the product and authenticity of the documents found in the vehicles and that they were confirmed to be fake.
The acting controller, while handing over the tankers to NMDPRA, said the drivers of the trucks escaped upon sighting customs officers on patrol.
Patrick Musa, an official of NMDPRA, while receiving the seizures, explained that the products were found to be off specification and fell below approved standards for use in Nigeria.
He added that the product could not have been lifted from any approved depot within the country.
