Planned Protests Prompt Oil Marketers to Shut Down Stations, Fuel Scarcity Looms

Oil marketers in Abuja and neighboring states of Niger, Nasarawa, and Kogi have shut down their filling stations, leading to fuel queues amidst growing concerns over a planned nationwide protest scheduled for August 1st.

In Abuja, retail outlets, including those operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), ceased dispensing fuel as of Friday. Similar scenes were witnessed in parts of Niger and Nasarawa states, with fuel queues reappearing at outlets like AYM Shafa in Dei-Dei and NNPC in Zuba, Niger State.

In Lagos, several filling stations were shut down, creating fears of an impending fuel scarcity. Most stations were not dispensing fuel, while the few operational ones sold at N800 per litre.

Some marketers attributed the closures to fuel unavailability, while others blamed apprehension over the planned protest.

In Ogun State, the situation reached a crisis point as long queues formed at filling stations. Vehicles, including motorcycles, cars, and buses, lined up chaotically for fuel, with motorists expressing frustration at the situation.

A commercial bus driver heading to Ibadan expressed frustration after spending over an hour in the queue. “I didn’t expect such a long queue,” he lamented. “My passengers are complaining, but there’s nothing I can do.”

Mohammed Shuaibu, Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, noted that some stations might be closed due to product unavailability, while others took preventive measures due to fear of the protest.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, has called for calm and urged Nigerians to avoid participating in the proposed protest.