Supply suspension: Petrol scarcity hits border
towns, fuel now N600/litre
-Fuel smuggling thrives in Adamawa, Sokoto
-Task force brutalises Idiroko residents
Residents of border communities in Ogun, Lagos,
Adamawa, Katsina and Sokoto states are groaning
following the Federal Government’s suspension of
fuel supply to areas within 20 kilometres to the
nation’s borders.
On Thursday, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria
Customs Service, Hameed Ali, had directed that no
petroleum products should be supplied to any filling
station within 20 kilometres to the borders.
Investigations by punch correspondents in Ogun,
Lagos, Adamawa, Katsina, and Sokoto states
showed that the government’s order had triggered
fuel scarcity and hike in the prices of petroleum
products.
For instance, investigations by one of our
correspondents showed the Federal Government’s
order had led to fuel scarcity in communities such
as Ihunbo, Ilase, Ajegunle, Idiroko and Agosasa in
the Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Also, at the Seme border in Lagos on Monday, there
were fuel queues as only two filling stations were
selling fuel.
Many filling stations shut in Ogun
The PUNCH learnt that so many filling stations
within 20 kilometres to the border in Ipokia, close
to Benin Republic had been shut by the Federal
Government’s task force on border closure.
One of the residents of Ipokia, Elijah Akinola, in an
interview with The PUNCH, accused the security
agencies in the area of sabotaging the economy of
the country.
He asked, “Can you imagine buying a litre of fuel at
the rate of N600? Before we can get fuel for N145
in Ipokia, we will need to go to Owode, which is 28
kilometres away. We don’t know what we can do to
survive.
“Before the Federal Government’s order, they
(security agents) used to take bribes from
marketers before allowing them to export fuel to
Benin Republic. Now that the Federal Government
has stopped supply of fuel supply to border
communities, we are the ones suffering. Artisans,
even medical personnel, are the ones suffering.
One person dies in Ogun
Akinola said in Ipokia that one person died
following the inability of a hospital to get fuel to
power a generator to perform a surgery on the
deceased.
“As I am talking to you, to power generators in
hospitals at Idiroko is difficult. Ihunbo, Ilase,
Ajegunle, Idiroko, Agosasa and other towns in the
Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State are
affected.
There was a patient that died this
afternoon (Monday) just because there was no
electricity to power machines for medical
examinations.”
Another resident, Ajibade Idowu, said the task force,
which comprised soldiers, immigration officers and
other security operatives, commenced the
implementation of the policy in the area on Sunday.
But he accused some members of the task force of
highhandedness.
They sealed
many filling stations at Idiroko, Ipokia, Ajegunle,
Ilase and Oko Eye.
“Everywhere was deserted as if the Federal
Government had declared a curfew. Fuel is even not
available at the black market. People are lamenting
and complaining of the situation.”
On the alleged harassment of the people by the
security agencies, Akinola said, “The security
agents are harassing people. We cannot go out of
this local government. If we are coming from
Owode with five litres of fuel, they will harass us.
Long queues at Seme border filling stations
The PUNCH gathered on Monday that only two out
of more than seven filling stations at the border
between Nigeria and Benin Republic in the Seme
area of Lagos were selling fuel.
Owners of 1,000 seized trucks appeal to NCS
One of our correspondents also gathered that more
than 1,000 trucks belonging to Nigerians that could
not cross the borders were still stranded.
Katsina border towns petrol dealers defy FG, sell
fuel
However, investigations in Katsina State showed
that filling station owners in the border towns of
Jibiya and Kongolam continued to sell fuel on
Monday despite government’s order.
It was learnt the stations selling fuel were mainly
independent marketers. It was however observed
that they were selling to only motorists and
motorcyclists.
A station attendant at a fuel station in Jibiya said
he had not received any instruction directing him to
stop selling fuel ,even as of Monday.
Sale of petrol puts on hold in Bakassi
After the suspension, sale of fuel was put on hold
in Bakassi, Cross River State.
A source at the border town, where internally
displaced persons are sheltered, said, “The four
filling stations in the town were not allowed to
dispense petrol to motorists after the ban. But after
about four days, the security people considered that
since most of the people of Ikang used Okada, they
allowed them to enter the petrol stations to buy into
their motorcycles.
“They also allowed drivers of commercial vehicles
plying Calabar to buy the product. But they don’t
allow people in jerricans.”
He said he could not ascertain if the price per litre
was increased.
According to NUPENGVOnly smugglers are still supplying fuel to border
areas
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and
Natural Gas workers has said it will establish a task
force and redesign its stickers so as to effectively
enforce the recent order by the Federal Government
banning the supply of petrol to border communities.
NUPENG on Monday said those who were still
supplying petrol to border towns despite the
Federal Government order were smugglers and not
members of the union.
The General Secretary, NUPENG, Olawale Afolabi,
told one of our correspondents that the union was
aware of the Federal Government order stopping the
supply of petrol to filling stations located 20
kilometres to border towns.
He said, “We are aware of the directive but
smugglers are the ones taking products to these
communities. It takes a lot of effort to stop
criminals. In fact, we have also set up a task force
to ensure compliance.
“Most times you see the diversion of products that
are supposed to go to the hinterlands. These
products are taken to the border areas through
diversion by armed smugglers.”
When told that some of the trucks used by these
alleged petrol smugglers often had NUPENG
stickers, Afolabi replied, “They are smugglers and
not our members. But when you see their trucks, for
them to escape easily, they will put our stickers.
“So right now, we are trying to redesign our stickers
and again we are setting up a task force to ensure
compliance. The union is handling this. However, I
want you to know that these smugglers carry arms
and we cannot confront them.
“Therefore, our task force will mainly educate our
members at the depots and try to halt the sale of
products to illegal marketers who may divert these
products.
So, only law enforcement agents have the
capacity to confront these smugglers.”
Young-po Reporters 