Ado-Ekiti, the capital city of Ekiti State and its surrounding areas, are facing a severe petrol scarcity as some filling stations are hoarding the product. This has led to long queues of vehicles and motorcycles at the few stations that are selling fuel, as well as an increase in transport fares in the state.
The reason for the hoarding of petrol by some filling stations is still unknown as of the time of writing this report.
Newsflash Nigeria correspondents visited some fuel stations in Ado-Ekiti and Ikere Ekiti and found out that the pump price of petrol has risen to between 680 and 690 naira per litre.
Many fuel stations along Adebayo and other major streets in the city are closed due to lack of petrol. Only a handful of stations are open, but they have very long queues of customers, including okada riders and those buying fuel in plastic containers.
The situation is worse at the outskirts of the city, where some marketers are taking advantage of the scarcity to hike the price of petrol even higher.
The Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, has warned the owners of filling stations in the state to stop hoarding petrol or face the consequences. He said that hoarding petrol is an unethical practice that creates unnecessary hardship for the people.
The Governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, said in a statement that the Governor has ordered the State Task Force on Petroleum Product to ensure that every filling station that has petrol sells it to the public at the recommended pump price.
He also said that any filling station that is found hoarding petrol will face appropriate sanctions, such as payment of heavy fine or sealing of the business premises.
