…gives product free to motorists, motorcyclists 

By Demola Akinyemi

ILORIN—The Department of  Petroleum Resources in Kwara State yesterday, wielded its big stick when it dispensed fuel to motorists and motorcyclists on long queues free of charge at two filling stations caught hoarding the product in Ilorin.

File : Black Market rules the day as fuel scarcity bites harder in Port harcourt : Pix show: A black marketer, siphon fuel into a costumer’s vehicle yesterday along Station road in Port Harcourt. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke

The federal agency had before now, severely warned petrol stations  across the state to desist from hoarding the products and sell to the people in order to alleviate the transportation sufferings until nemesis caught up with two petrol stations yesterday.

Recall that residents in Ilorin have in the past two weeks been facing acute shortage of the products, resulting in long queues at a few petrol stations dispensing the product, particularly NNPC, while many others closed,forcing many people to embark on trekking long distances to their destinations.

One of the errant stations, Alkad and Sons Nigeria Limited, situated on Olorunsogo, Ilorin, was caught hoarding a total of 2,300 litres of fuel, also known as Premium Motor Spirit, PMS.

In the same vein, Nasmut Nigeria Limited, located at Otte in  Asa Local Government Area of the state, a suburb of Ilorin, was also found to be hoarding a large volume of petrol, after which the DPR operation controller ordered that the commodity be sold to members of the public free.

Vanguard reliably gathered that the surveillance team of the department swooped on the stations, following a tip off by concerned citizens that management of the station was hoarding the commodity.

Acting on the intelligence, the team, led by Operation Controller of DPR, Mr Salvation Philip, dug up the station’s stock and uncovered 2300 litres of fuel in AlKAD and Sons Nigeria limited, while the station had allegedly told distraught buyers that it had exhausted the stock.