By Ayobami Adedinni
A filling station manager has been arrested by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC in Abuja for allegedly diverting 26,000 litres of petrol, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has said.
The Group General Manager, GGM, Group Public Affairs Division of the corporation, Ndu Ughamadu, disclosed this in a statement sent to PETROLGASREPORT on Monday.
The statement said about 26,000 litres of petrol were diverted from New Nyanya to another location in Akwanga, Nasarawa State.
“According to an official of the NSCDC, Yusuf O. Ayinde, a Chief Superintendent of the Corps, the manager with Lamido Petroleum, New Nyanya, Nasarawa State, Mr. Kasim Lamido, took delivery of 40,000 litres of petrol meant for his station but discharged only13,300 litres, from one out of the three compartments in the truck and diverted the remaining 26,000 litres to a station in Akwanga where it would be sold at a higher price.
“The suspect would be charged to court by the Civil Defence Corps after the ongoing investigation,” the spokesperson said.
The NNPC said the activities of a potent petroleum products smuggling and diversion syndicate has contributed immensely to the shortage being experienced in some cities and posed a challenge to the efforts by the corporation to sanitise the fuel supply and distribution chain across the country.
The statement also mentioned that the corporation was working in collaboration with key players to eliminate distribution hiccups which led to the emergence of fuel queues in parts of the country.
It further urged motorists not to engage in panic buying.
Mr. Ughamadu advised motorists to report any marketer selling petrol above N145 per litre or hoarding products to the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, which is statutorily empowered to deal with such issues.
