NNPC cracks down on erring marketers, fuel hawkers
- The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has stepped up the arrest and prosecution of erring marketers
- This is part of efforts to sanitize the fuel supply and distribution system
- Six persons were arrested in the Central Business District, Abuja, for hawking petrol in jerry-cans
As part of efforts to sanitize the fuel supply and distribution system to eliminate the queues, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has stepped up the arrest and prosecution of erring marketers and fuel hawkers across the country.
Legit.ng gathered that the NNPC Special Task Force on Filling Stations Monitoring has made series of arrests including two filling station managers who diverted 66,000 litres of petrol and six illegal hawkers of petrol in Abuja.
The two managers of Azman filling stations in Nyanya and Kuje, two suburbs of Abuja, were arrested after close monitoring by the team for diverting trucks of petrol meant for their stations to unknown destinations.
They have since been handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for prosecution.
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In addition to prosecution, the filling stations would pay a N250 fine for each litre of petrol diverted.
The Task Force has also arrested six persons in the Central Business District, Abuja, for hawking petrol in jerry-cans.
Three of the arrested persons – Samila Umar, Atlahim Abdullahi and Bashir Sani – were charged and prosecuted at the Area Court, Gudu, where Justice Sidi Bello sentenced them to two-month imprisonment or a N2,000 fine which they promptly paid.
The other three who were arrested on Tuesday, February 6, were charged to court on Wednesday, February 7.
The NNPC recently assured motorists and other petroleum products consumers in Abuja and its environs not to engage in panic buying.
According to a statement sent to Legit.ng by the corporation's spokesman, Ndu Ughamadu, the NNPC and other relevant government agencies are in consultation with the leadership of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD).
Legit.ng gathered that the NNPC's action has led to the union’s reconsideration of its threat to stop dispatches at some depot on Wednesday, January 31.
The members of the PTD had threatened to prevent loading from the depot over portions of Mokwa-Jebba road which they had considered were in bad state.
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Source: Legit.ng
