Fuel scarcity hits Ogun

Motorists and residents of Abeokuta, Ogun State, have started feeling the heat of the fuel scarcity in major Nigerian cities, as the majority of fueling stations closed gates, refusing to dispense fuel to customers.

On Thursday evening, filling stations began to close over the news of adulterated fuel in circulation.

Many filling stations across the nation had stopped operations due to adulterated fuel.

As motorists moved from one place to another in search of fuel, other residents were seen with jerry cans seeking to buy fuel for their power generators, grinding machines, among others.

A PREMIUM TIMES reporter, who went around Abeokuta on Thursday evening observed that some filling stations such as Mobil at Lafenwa, Oando at Akin-Olugbade, Mobil and Ebemfem at Ita-Eko, Yerevan at Lafenwa, Nipco at Itoku were not selling to the public.

Both Fatgbems fuelling stations and the NNPC mega station situated opposite each other at Abiola Way were not also dispensing the commodity.

Also, activities at Mobil in Onikolobo, World Oil at Okelewo, Sunny Yinka at Leme, Conoil at Ibara, MRS at Isale Igbein were also grounded.

However, there were long queues at a few of the stations selling fuel like Prudent in Iyana Mortuary and Fatgbems in Isale Igbein, Foaji filling station as well as Anobi fuelling station in Ijaye area of Abeokuta.

Fuel hoarding

The manager of a station at Abiola Way in Abeokuta, who does not want to be named, told PREMIUM TIMES that many of the stations that have stopped dispensing did so in anticipation of a hike in fuel price, adding that others stopped for the fear of damaging customers cars.

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“We know ourselves, many of them stopped selling, thinking that the situation will degenerate into fuel price hike, while some others stopped because they are afraid that their fuel might damage peoples cars because they just got supply.”

Panic buying

A resident of Ijaye in Abeokuta, who identified himself simply as Kazeem, was seen carrying three 25 litres jerrycans on a motorcycle.

When he was asked by our reporter if he was engaging in black market business, he responded that he is buying to keep.

“We don’t know when all these will be over, and this is the closest fueling station close to my house, if it stops selling now just like others have started doing, where do I get fuel from? That is why I want to keep this one in a safe place in my house.”