The Department of Petroleum Resources, Ibadan field office, on Wednesday in Ibadan, Oyo State sealed over 50 filling stations across the state for various offences.
The DPR Operations Controller, Mr Olakunle Ogunlana, said the sealing and the sanction was because some independent fuel marketers in the state were selling fuel above the government-approved pump price of N87.
He listed the affected filling stations as Fatoil at Sango-Eleyele road, Romkol Global Oil, Apete and Solace Global Resources Limited, Apete.
Others are Mericom Business Heritage, Arola,Towafad Interbiz limited, Arola and Gilog Oil Nigeria Limited and Muhatorm Petroleum Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited, in Awotan-Iludun.
According to him, the scarcity being witnessed in the state is artificial.
Ogunlana, said that some of the stations were sanctioned because attendants absconded from their stations when customers were on queue to buy fuel.
He added that filing stations were also delaying their sales till late in the night so that they could make illegal gains.
Ogunlana told newsmen that the scarcity was a gimmick by marketers to make the public to believe that the government was yet to pay them their subsidy.
“Despite the directive to cut down on importation, it is still the duty of importers to import as long as they have the license to do so,’’ he said.
According to him, government is doing its best to ensure that petroleum products are available all over the country and will deal with any person who sabotages its efforts.
Ogunlana reiterated the determination of his team to enforce government directive to the letter on all filling stations in the state.
However, he urged fuel marketers in the state to be patriotic and save the public from untold hardships.
Other offences the erring fuel marketers were sanctioned for included hoarding of petroleum products.
The exercise was done in collaboration with men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
