John Adams, Minna
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), on Saturday, shut down 13 filling stations in Niger state for selling fuel above approved pump price of N145 per litre.
The state controller on DPR Alhaji Isa Jankara who ordered the close down of the filling stations during his monitoring tour of some stations in Minna and its environs said the current scarcity is further compounded by the activities of those diverting the product.
The shutting down of the stations is coming barely five days after the DPR warned marketers in the state to desist from diverting the product during a meeting in Minna.
He said those stations were found to be selling the product at N205 to N250 per litre during inspection visit against the N145 approved pump price.
He explained that apart from selling the fuel above pump price, some of them were also involved in hoarding the product and sell it to black market operators in the night, adding that they have been sanctioned appropriately.
Jankara said that the affected stations have been fined, ranging from N100,000 to N600,000 with a strong warning of have their license sized.
He said that the sealed stations will have to pay the fines to the TSA account of DPR before their stations will be reopened.
He warned marketers to desist from selling above approved pump price adding that the department will not relent in fishing out those involved in such acts.