Fuel scarcity: Profiteers make brisk business, sell litre for N300

Black market operators are smiling to the banks as a litre of petrol is now selling for more than N300 in some parts of the country.
On Saturday, fuel was scarce in virtually all the petrol stations in the country. The few ones where fuel was available had long queue of vehicles and customers with jerry cans.
In most parts of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Anambra, Delta, Niger and Kaduna states, a litre was sold between N270 and N300.
A motorist in Ajah, Lagos bought a litre for N350.
Motorists, commercial motorcyclists and other petrol users now patronise black market operators.
Some of the operators said they were making more profit because of the situation.
“My brother, it is business. You know we have to bribe the petrol attendants for us to get this fuel. So, we must sell at a profitable price,” one of the operators said.
Others said they usually sourced the commodity from other towns and sold to customers at exorbitant rates.
A motorist said: “I only hope the government will act fast because the issue is getting out of control. People now resort to buying fuel in the black market because filling stations cannot lift fuel. If it continues this way, only God knows what will happen next week,’’ he said.