The Federal Government has issued a stern warning to oil marketers, threatening to revoke licenses for those found guilty of hoarding Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.
This move comes in response to persistent fuel shortages affecting Abuja, Niger, Nasarawa, Kaduna, and several other states.
In many northern states, the petrol shortage has led to widespread closures of fuel stations due to supply issues.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has called out marketers involved in hoarding petrol and selling to black market dealers using jerrycans.
Ogbugo Ukoha, Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage, and Retailing Infrastructure at NMDPRA, issued this warning during an inspection tour in Abuja.
“You need to take this warning very seriously,” Ukoha stated in a video shared by the regulator.
“If you need security reinforcements, speak to your management.”
Ukoha emphasized the safety risks posed by illegal sales and urged retail stations to cease transactions with black marketeers.
The NMDPRA has announced a crackdown on the illegal sale of petroleum products and warned that failure to comply would lead to the suspension of retail licenses.
The scarcity issue, according to NNPC Ltd spokesperson Olufemi Soneye, has been exacerbated by operational delays in discharging vessels and adverse weather conditions affecting supply routes.
“The tightness in fuel supply witnessed in some parts of Lagos and the FCT is a result of a hitch in the discharge operations of a couple of vessels,” Soneye explained on July 27.
Despite these explanations and efforts to resolve the situation, the fuel crisis continues to affect many northern states.
