From Bode Durojaiye,Oyo.
Some petrol dealers in Oyo and Ogbomoso are now selling adulterated product mixed with water and diesel to motorists and commercial motorcycle operators.
It was gathered that after loading the petrol at the depot, the tanker trailers, owned by these dealers, would proceed to somewhere where about twenty-five and thirty percent of the product are sold off.
The same percentage of product sold will be replaced with large quantity of water, in order not to create any shortfall.
The adulterated petrol will, thereafter, be taken to the filling
stations for offloading, in readiness for sale to numerous
unsuspecting customers at exorbitant prices.
The thinking of these unscrupulous dealers, impeccable source informed, is that they would have made their money and excessive profits by the time the special task forces swoop on them if they fail to sell at the official pump price of N87 per litre.
There has been growing concern about criminal and other illegal
business activities being transacted at the Elekara area, along
Oyo/Ibadan expressway.
The area, which has one of the largest markets in Oyo State, also harbours all categories of artisans.
Besides, the area serves as a terminal station for drivers of heavy truck vehicles, who move from Lagos to the northern part of the country.
This makes the area vulnerable to prostitutes and call girls who make brisk business.
Most consignments, including fuel scheduled from Lagos to other parts of the country, it was gathered, were usually disposed of at Elekara area, without getting to the scheduled destinations.
Open shops, and make shifts are not only veritable abode for
miscreants and men of the underworld, operators of black market for petrol thrive in the area.
Motorists and commercial motorcycle operators point accusing fingers at officials of Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) for looking the other ways as these dealers continue to perpetuate their criminal acts.
A visit by our correspondent round some of the filling stations in the two towns revealed that there are different types of petrol on sale.
They are differentiated by their colours and by their smell. Sources also confirmed the questionable quality of the petrol on sale at the dispensing stations all over the country.
Despite these sharp practices by some of the petrol dealers, a litre now sells for N140.
The situation is even worse in Oke-Ogun area where a litre is sold for N200.
