Fuel Scarcity: Abuja, Neighbouring States As Marketers Shut Stations Over Protest

Mohammed Shuaibu, Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, noted that some stations might be closed due to product unavailability. ..Read Full Article

Amid growing concerns over a planned nationwide protest, oil marketers in Abuja and neighbouring states of Niger, Nasarawa, and Kogi states shut down their filling stations on Friday.

Retail outlets, including those operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in Kubwa, Salbas Oil, Eterna, and Gegu Oil, stopped dispensing fuel along the Kubwa-Zuba expressway.

According to PUNCH, similar scenes unfolded inside Abuja and parts of Niger and Nasarawa states, causing significant disruption.

Oil marketers confirmed that filling stations in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, were also closed.

This development led to the reappearance of fuel queues at outlets like AYM Shafa in Dei-Dei and NNPC in Zuba, Niger State.

In Lagos, several filling stations were shut down, creating fears of an impending fuel scarcity. Observations by correspondents indicated that most stations were not dispensing fuel, while the few operational ones sold at N800 per liter.

Some marketers attributed the closures to fuel unavailability, while others blamed the apprehension over the planned protest.

In Ogun State, the situation reached a crisis point as long queues formed at filling stations. In Magboro and Ibafo areas along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, vehicles, including motorcycles, cars, and buses, lined up chaotically for fuel.

At Quest Filling Station in Magboro, motorists struggled in a queue over a hundred meters long, with only one of three petrol pumps operational.

Saheed, a commercial bus driver heading to Ibadan, expressed frustration after spending over an hour in line. “I didn’t expect such a long queue,” he lamented. “My passengers are complaining, but there’s nothing I can do.” At NIPCO Filling Station in Magboro, diesel was priced at N1,200 per liter, while petrol cost N675 per liter, with four out of five petrol pumps operational.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Heineken Lokpobiri called for calm and urged Nigerians to avoid participating in the proposed protest.

Mohammed Shuaibu, Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, noted that some stations might be closed due to product unavailability.

He emphasized that the fear of the protest led many marketers to take preventive measures, causing fuel queues as fewer stations remained operational.

Lokpobiri, in a statement issued by his media aide Nneamaka Okafor, urged Nigerians to shelve the planned protest.

He highlighted the need for unity and patience as the government works to address the country’s issues. Lokpobiri stressed the importance of constructive engagement and warned against those who might exploit the protest for malicious purposes.

In Kwara State, no fuel queues were reported, with petrol sold between N600 and N800 per liter. Various filling stations in Ilorin, the state capital, sold fuel at varying prices, indicating no immediate shortage.