The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Osun State has arrested seven persons for hoarding Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), in line with the state government’s warning against the act.
The fuel station attendants, managers, and supervisors were arrested at different locations within Osogbo, the state capital, by the Anti-Vandalism Unit of the NSCDC on Wednesday, May 31, 2023.
Confirming the arrests, the Commandant of the NSCDC in the state, Sunday Agboola, stated that fuel stations in areas such as Lameco, Stadium, Owode Ilesha garage, Ilesha garage roundabout, and Ayepe axis had fuel in their reservoirs but refused to sell to the public, despite queues forming at various filling stations.
When questioned, the marketers claimed they were waiting for approval from their headquarters, a claim that did not sit well with the authorities.
Agboola reiterated the NSCDC’s commitment to clamping down on any illicit activity aimed at frustrating the government’s efforts to make fuel products available to Nigerians. He called on members of the public to report any filling stations engaging in hoarding and other illegal activities.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Government had earlier raised the alarm of deliberate plans by petroleum marketers to hoard PMS, describing the act as unpatriotic and aimed at sabotaging the economy.
In his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspended the fuel subsidy regime, asserting that it was no longer sustainable for Nigeria at present.
