NNPC demands calm as fuel queues surface in FCT, others

Petrol queues surfaced in parts of Abuja and neighbouring states of Nasarawa and Niger on Monday evening and intensified on Tuesday.

Motorists besieged the few filling stations that dispensed petrol, forming long queues, while many other outlets were locked.

Most filling stations in the satellite towns of Abuja such as Kubwa, Bwari, Gwarimpa were shut as dealers said they had no product when our correspondent visited the outlets on Tuesday morning.

The NNPC filling station on Arab Road in Kubwa, did not dispense product on Monday evening till Tuesday morning.

A Conoil filling station on the Zuba-Kubwa expressway had long queues of motorists who parked within and outside the outlet in a bid to purchase petrol.

Most filling stations on the Zuba-Kaduna expressway as well as many others in the Mararaba end of Nasarawa were not also dispensing petrol on Tuesday.

Similarly, in the Central Business District of Abuja, many outlets were locked.

Of the two filling stations in front of the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, only one, Conoil, dispensed petrol on Tuesday morning, but it had long queues of motorists.

The entrance of the other filling station, Total, was shut to motorists. Filling station attendants here said they had no stock on Tuesday morning.

Oil marketers told our correspondent that the attack on petrol tankers by angry protesters forced dealers to temporarily suspend the movement of petroleum products, a development which warranted disruptions in supply.

The Public Relations Officer, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, said there was enough product but noted that the attacks led to supply disruptions.

“The protesters were burning our petrol trucks and we had to temporarily suspend movement of these trucks, which has led to supply disruptions and queues,” he said.

Reacting to the queues that surfaced in Abuja and neighbouring states on Tuesday, the NNPC said in a tweet that there was no need for panic, as it had enough product that would last for about two months.

It said, “There is no need for panic-buying, rest assured that the NNPC has over two billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit in stock to guarantee steady supply and at least 60-day-product supply sufficiency.”