Fuel scarcity hits Abuja over rumoured price increase

• Long queue build up in NNPC Ltd retail outlets

• Black market sellers take over FCT highways

'Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja 

DAILY COURIER - Most filling stations are currently closed in the Federal Capital Territory, leading to long queues by motorists at the few outlets that are dispensing Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol.

Operators in the downstream sector claimed the scarcity is due to uncertainty in the pricing occasioned by the latest distortion in diesel price by Dangote Refinery.

Motorists confirmed that the development was due to the planned increase in price of petroleum products.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited filling station on Arab Road in Kubwa, Abuja, was closed on Wednesday.

The Conoil filling station and all others except Datol filling station along the Zuba-Kubwa expressway were all under lock and key.

NNPCL retail outlet in Dawaki axis and the central business district of Abuja all had very long queues all through Wednesday as many other stations run by independent marketers closed shop but are unwilling to speak to DAILY COURIER correspondent.

On Wednesday, DAILY COURIER - Dangote Petroleum Refinery has again reduced the prices of diesel and aviation fuel to ₦940, and ₦980 per litre, respectively.

This comes after its widely celebrated price reduction to ₦1,000 barely two weeks ago.

The price change of ₦940 applies to customers buying five million litres and above from the refinery, while the price of ₦970 is for customers buying one million litres and above.

On Thursday, our Correspondent

spoke with Farouk, a manager of filling station repeatedly raised concern over the high cost of diesel required to power their trucks for the transportation of petroleum products across the country.

Motorists had told our correspondent that petrol prices from volume 

were between N800 to N1,500/litre depending on the area of purchase.

While the black market vendors with gallons of petrol across Abuja highways making quick money.

A call to the spokesperson of NNPC Ltd is yet to be responded to.