Kaduna residents get free fuel

Many residents of Kaduna state on Wednesday received free fuel dispensed by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) from filling station found hoarding the product.    

The station, Samrada Nigeria Limited located at Romi Junction in the state capital, was caught hoarding a total of 19, 500 litres of fuel and was also sealed off.

 Minister of state for petroleum Dr Ibe Kachikwu last week had directed the DPR to dispense hoarded fuel for free, following fuel scarcity that keep biting harder across the country.

The DPR during its routine inspection of petrol stations in Kaduna discovered that Samrada petrol station was also selling above the N87 per litre pump price only at night. 

Daily Trust reports that the scarcity situation is getting worse by day, while many filling stations are under lock and key, black marketers have taken over the major streets, determining the price at which to sell the product to motorists.

Presently, a litre of petrol in Kaduna metropolis and environs is sold as high as N200 per litre and where fuel is available at petrol stations selling at the normal pump price are surrounded by long queues.           

Meanwhile, DPR officials led by the Zonal Controller, Usman Ndanusa, swooped on this particular station following a tip-off from concerned citizens that the management of the station is hoarding the product.

They opened up the station’s stock and uncovered 19,300 litres of fuel even though the station had allegedly told distraught buyers that it had exhausted the stock.

However, it was cheering news for motorists and other members of the public who scrambled to have their tanks filled as soon as the DPR boss instructed that the fuel be given free of charge in line with Minister of Petroleum’s directive.

The manager of the filling station who did not want his name mentioned complained of not getting the product from the depot at government approved price, hence they had to adjust their retail prices.