Petrol scarcity hit different parts of Nigeria on Tuesday, forcing motorists to spend hours at filling stations while battling to get the product.
Black marketers had a field day, selling a litre of fuel at N300-N400 in many parts of the country. Many motorists were forced to patronise them as the unpalatable alternative was to wait for hours in filling stations.
Amid long queues and waiting hours in Lagos, some filling stations sold a litre of the Premium Motor Spirit at N200/litre as against the approved price of N180-N185/litre.
One of our correspondents who visited some filling stations around Ikotun, Egbeda and Ojodu Berger areas on Monday and Tuesday witnessed long queues at the few stations that managed to sell.
A businessman, Kayode Oloriegbe, said he could not wait to buy from filling stations, but had to patronise a black marketer who sold at N300/litre.
“I was lucky to buy a 10-litre gallon at N3,500. Others said they bought at higher prices from the black marketers,” he said.
A tricyclist, Ade, who operates between Ago Palace Way and Second Rainbow Bus Stop at Amuwo-Odofin, said, “Black marketers sell five litres at N1,700 at Ago Palace during the day and N2500 at night. This is a normal thing. Whenever we are approaching the end of the year, we mostly witness fuel scarcity.”
The attendants at the filling stations told The Punch that they had run out of fuel. They, however, said they were expecting to get the supply before the end of yesterday (Tuesday).
At Bova’s filling station, a long queue caused traffic gridlock along Ogba road as of the time of filing this report.
Similarly, a long queue was sighted at Rainoil filling at Berger Roundabout, with some drivers alleging that they were charged an extra N300 by fuel attendants. The attendants declined to speak with our correspondent.
At the Eterna Oil filling station located before Afeez Bus Stop, Ojodu Berger, there was also a long queue.
One of the fuel attendants said the trucks that were supposed to supply them with fuel did not turn up.
