The warning comes in response to the ongoing and worsening fuel scarcity that has gripped several states, particularly in the North.
The Nigerian government has issued a warning to the oil marketers across the country, threatening to withdraw their licences if they are found guilty of hoarding Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.
The warning comes in response to the ongoing and worsening fuel scarcity that has gripped several states, particularly in the North.
For weeks, residents in Abuja, Niger, Nasarawa, Kaduna, and many other states have been grappling with a severe shortage of petrol, leading to long queues at filling stations and, in some cases, complete closures due to the lack of supply.
The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has warned oil marketers that filling stations found hoarding petrol or selling it to black marketers in jerrycans risk having their licenses revoked.
The warning was delivered by Ogbugo Ukoha, the Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage, and Retailing Infrastructure at NMDPRA, during an inspection tour in Abuja.
In a video shared by the regulator, Ukoha advised one of the station managers, “You need to take this warning very seriously. If you require additional security, inform your management.”
Ukoha urged retail petrol stations to cease selling products to black marketers who distribute them in jerrycans, citing serious safety concerns. He emphasized that this practice should be discontinued immediately.
In a statement on its X handle, the downstream regulator announced a crackdown on the illegal sale of petroleum products. “The NMDPRA has launched a war against the unlawful sale of petroleum products, particularly PMS in jerrycans. Filling stations are advised to stop servicing illegal peddlers, or they risk having their retail licenses suspended,” the agency declared.
On July 27, NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye attributed the fuel scarcity in Abuja and Lagos to a disruption in the discharge operations of several vessels.
“The NNPC Ltd wishes to clarify that the tight fuel supply and distribution in parts of Lagos and the FCT is due to a hitch in the discharge operations of a couple of vessels,” Soneye had explained.
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