By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

The Ogun State chapter of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has threatened to halt fuel supply across the state, citing continuous harassment and intimidation by what it describes as an “illegal Task Force” allegedly established by the state government to disrupt its members’ operations.

Chief Salimon Ajayi, IPMAN’s State Chairman at the Mosimi Depot, raised these concerns in Abeokuta on Tuesday, condemning the task force’s actions. A

ccording to Ajayi, the Dapo Abiodun-led administration inaugurated this task force on November 6, 2024.

Since then, the group—headed by one Adeyemi Badejo and including officers from the Nigeria Police Force, the state-owned Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), and the state’s television station—has allegedly targeted IPMAN fuel stations, demanding measuring cans, money, and engaging in various forms of harassment.

Ajayi argued that the task force’s formation contradicts the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, specifically Sections 48 and 309, which he claims do not permit such oversight bodies. IPMAN has consequently issued an ultimatum, declaring that its members will shut down fuel supply across Ogun State from Monday, November 18, 2024, if the task force continues its alleged harassment.

“It is unfortunate that IPMAN members are frequently the target when government policies negatively impact the public,” Ajayi said. “The task force is unnecessary and illegal under the PIA, and its objectives are being pursued through unlawful means.”

IPMAN has formally raised these grievances in a letter to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) field office, dated November 11, 2024. The letter, made available to journalists, emphasized that IPMAN members are law-abiding citizens conducting their businesses legitimately and will not tolerate intimidation by state agents.

The letter stated, “We write to inform your esteemed office of a new Task Force recently established by the Ogun State government. The team has been visiting our stations, forcibly requesting measuring cans to assess our products, harassing our staff, and demanding money.”

Ajayi urged Ogun State residents and the business community to hold the state government accountable for any disruptions in fuel supply if the task force is not disbanded by Sunday, November 17, 2024.