Petrol scarcity: NSCDC threatens dealers with shutdown

The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Ekiti State has threatened to descend heavily on petrol dealers hoarding or diverting petroleum products in the state. The NSCDC said it would not allow unscrupulous dealers to create artificial scarcity in the state over “non-existent anticipation” that the official pump price may increase. The state […]

The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Ekiti State has threatened to descend heavily on petrol dealers hoarding or diverting petroleum products in the state.

The NSCDC said it would not allow unscrupulous dealers to create artificial scarcity in the state over “non-existent anticipation” that the official pump price may increase.

The state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, had on Friday issued a similar warning to some petrol dealers found to be hoarding fuel and compelling motorists to engage in panic buying since Friday.

The development caused a resurface of long queues in filling stations across the state and a hike in the pump price of petrol to as high as N160 per litre in some stations.

The NSCDC commandant, Mr Solomon Iyamu, told journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday that he had instructed anti-vandalism operatives to commence random checks on petrol stations and arrest those hoarding the product and subjecting people to hardship.

Iyamu, through the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Tolu Afolabi, said, “We realised that long queues and artificial scarcity have been created by some petrol dealers and we are ready to address the issue. If we get to your petrol station and we find out that it has as high as 10,000 litres of petrol in its pits but the dealer is not selling, then he is liable and such person will face the law.

“We learnt from good authority that many petrol stations are hoarding the product. Some are also selling above N145 per litre. These are the issues we will tackle squarely,” he stated.