The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on Wednesday distributed free fuel to many residents of Kaduna state from a filling station caught 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.
It will be recalled that the Minister of state for petroleum Dr Ibe Kachikwu last week had directed the DPR to dispense hoarded fuel for free from any filling station found hoarding.
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.
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.
In a similar development, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Warri, Delta State, on Wednesday, sealed off seven filling stations over various offences.
Those filling stations sealed off were Franckies filling station at Enerhen road, Mobil at Warri Garage, Orogun Brothers Ltd at Orhuwohoro, J. Tamah filling station at Udu road, Pogson Motors Ltd at Udu road and Jeroh Petroleum Ltd at Orhuwhoru road.
The filling stations were accused of selling above the official pump price of N87 per litre, failure to perfect sales licenses, under-dispensing, hoarding of petroleum products, among others.
The raid was carried out by over 10 DPR officials led by the head of operations, Mr Obukaroro Ovedje and head of the public relations, Mr Goddey Agusa, who were accompanied by a team of policemen.
Mr Ovedje ordered buyers at Manz International Investment Ltd earlier raided, to queue up and the product was dispensed free to them. This led to jubilation at the filling station among customers who had gone through hectic time since Wednesday morning.
The defaulting filling station was caught selling a litre of petrol for N140 to buyers. Each of the buyers obtained 20 litres of the product in their vehicles for free.
At some filling stations caught under-dispensing the product to buyers, they were ordered to begin to dispense a litre for of petrol for N80 or face the full wrath of the law.
Ovedje, the head of operations, decried a situation where more than 50 per cent of filling stations in Warri and environs are dispensing their product above the official pump price.
He warned oil marketers in the state to desist from sharp practices, adding that henceforth, fuel stations caught cheating buyers would have their product sold free to buyers.