The Nigerian Navy, Forward Operating Base (FOB) of Badagry, has sounded a note of warning to petroleum dealers to put a stop to smuggling of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), known as petrol, to neighbouring countries.
The warning was issued by the Commanding Officer of FOB, Capt. Adams Aliu on Saturday at a stakeholders’ meeting with the Petroleum Dealers Association, Badagry Chapter.
“If the Federal Government makes a decision that petrol that is meant for Nigeria market should be sold in Nigeria, I cannot pretend when someone is carrying it across waterways to neighbouring countries.
“I have to react and ask why they are carrying petrol in jerrycan and where they get it and where they are taking it to.
“This is where you come in as the petroleum dealers in Badagry.
“As I am, I can’t get petrol here unless I get to filling stations within Badagry.
“So, it is you that Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) supplies petrol, and you are the ones that can explain how the product gets to all these neighbouring countries.
“The opposite of this is that when they smuggle petrol to neighbouring countries, they will bring rice into the country.
“It is now necessary on me to check the boundary, why there is such movement and make the arrest if necessary,” he said.
The commanding officer said that smuggling of petroleum products outside the country was having adverse effects on the economy of the nation, urging marketers to shun the practice.
Meanwhile, Anguwan Tana, a community in Yola North LGA, was submerged on Thursday by overflow from River Kilange and River Faro.
The farming settlement in the state capital lies on the shore of the River Benue, which runs across Yola.
Residents of the community lamented the destruction of their farms following the heavy flood.
Visiting the affected area on Friday, the Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency, ADSEMA, Dr Mohammed Suleiman, said the agony of the people would have been averted if they had heeded warnings about possible flooding.
“Before the inception of the rainy season, when we received the prediction of flooding, we had warned them,” the ADSEMA boss told newsmen.
While stressing the need for them to always cooperate with government, he assured them of food and non-food relief items.
The ward head of the community, Malam Rabiu Ibrahim, attributed the flood to inadequate drainage and appealed to the state government to intervene in that regard.
One of the victims, Aisha Mohammed, a mother of 10, said, “We have children, and the water is very dirty. It constitutes a health and environmental hazard, so government should please do something about it and relocate us to a safer place.”
She said further, “Although government has been warning us about the flood, we don’t have any place to go. This is the only place we have.”