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HomeEnergyDPR seals 30 filling stations in Akwa Ibom, Borno and Ogun

DPR seals 30 filling stations in Akwa Ibom, Borno and Ogun

Lingering petrol scarcity took its toll on residents of major towns in parts of the country yesterday as many filling stations shut their gates against motorists. In Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, many of the petrol stations apparently hoarded Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) while those who dispensed the product only sold it for a few hours.

It was learnt that several commuters and motorists were stranded as a result of the development even as law enforcement operatives intensified efforts to address the situation.

Responding to the biting effects of fuel scarcity, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) sealed 30 filling station in Akwa Ibom, Borno  and Ogun states. The department said it sealed two filling stations in Abeokuta for alleged hoard- ing and under-dispensing of petrol. DPR also sealed 16 filling stations in Akwa Ibom State for selling petrol above N145 per litre.

The department also sealed 12 filling stations in Borno State for various offences DPR officials and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) sealed World Oil filling station at Ibara area of Abeokuta and shut a fuel pump inside MAAN IPC filling station at Ita-Eko area. It was learnt that attendants at some filling stations were forced to sell fuel after discovering thousands of litres hoarded in their tanks.

The DPR Head of Operations, Abeokuta Field Office, Kasali Akinade, said the agency carried out the operation following a tip-off. Akinade, who expressed concern that some filling stations were bent on creating artificial fuel scarcity, urged members of the public to promptly report illegal activities at stations to the DPR. According to him, over 4,000 litres of PMS were hoarded in the tank of MAAN IPC alone.

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The Operations Controller of DPR in Akwa Ibom State, Tamunoiminabo Sundaye, told journalists in Eket yesterday that some of the affected stations had paid the penalty and had signed undertaking with the department “to be of good behaviour’’. Sundaye said that the department had begun close monitoring of the filling stations to ensure that they reverse their pumps to dispense petrol at N145 per litre. He also said the agency had engaged private depot owners to ensure that they sold the product at ex-depot price to marketers.

The controller alleged that the marketers were creating artificial scarcity of the product in the state. He said: “I will not really say that there is much scarcity in Akwa Ibom State because there is no queue.”

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