Posted by The Nigerian government’s elimination of the fuel subsidy has drastically cut down on the smuggling of petroleum products across the international border in Kwara State with the Republic of Benin.
This was announced at a press briefing in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State and home to the Nigeria Customs Service’s Kwara State command, by Comptroller Kehinde Dehinde Ilesanmi.
According to him, people are less likely to make bulk purchases of gasoline because its per-liter cost has increased from N195 to N515 or N520 in recent years, especially in Ilorin.
“Those who have been buying the product illegally have experienced the same outcomes as those who have been buying it legitimately.
According to the comptroller, “so the volume of the product to be purchased has drastically reduced, and the volume to be transported outside of the country has also reduced.”
How many people, then, are financially stable enough to transport 500 Jerry cans’ worth of gasoline? He questioned.
The fuel subsidy elimination program was called a “master stroke” by Nigeria’s customs comptroller because it forced the cabal that had been benefiting from the subsidy to reevaluate its position, even from outside.
Kehinde said, “As soon as the fuel subsidy was eliminated, there were protests in Nigeria’s neighboring countries.”
For example, “if you decide to sweep and clean your house, and your neighbors in the other flats start to demonstrate, that is to tell you that you have done something very significant.”
He pointed out that no one whose livelihood has been cut off would go into hiding, thus the command is ready for whatever lies ahead.