Fuel Scarcity: NSCDC ‘Hunts’ Black Marketers In Ekiti

The Ekiti State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has declared that there is no safe haven for petroleum black marketers in the state.

This is as the security agency warns against the illicit trade that is capable of causing fire outbreaks.

Naija News reports that the issue of fuel crisis across states has lingered for about a month now. Though the government has announced in several publications that measures are been taken to forestall further hardship.

In a bid to curtail the unnecessary hike in the price of petroleum products in Ekiti State, the state commandant of the NSCDC, John Olatunde Fayemi, has ordered a raid on black marketers in the state.

The NSCDC boss frowned at the rate at which some people are creating artificial scarcity of petroleum products in the state, noting that filling station owners and some greedy marketers are in the habit of selling and dispensing the product at night, making it difficult for consumers to buy the products directly from filling stations and thereby creating illegal markets for the selling of the products.

Speaking on Tuesday (today), while parading some seized products recovered by Anti Vandal Operations in the state in his office at Ado/Ikere road, Ekiti State, Fayemi condemned citizens involved in the illicit act.

He warned about the inherent dangers associated with blackmarketing and the economic implications of its festering in the state.

In his submission, many lives have been lost as a result of fire outbreaks resulting from hoarding petroleum products at home as well as grounding of economic activities in the society.

Fayemi admonished citizens of the state to be calm, giving them hope that normalcy in the selling and dispensing of the product will soon return to Nigeria as well as Ekiti State.

Naija News understands that the Anti-Vandal Unit has been moving around the 16 local governments in Ekiti State in order of the NSCDC boss.

Their aim is to arrest and possibly confiscate petroleum products found to proceed with black marketing, and also enforce the approved pump price.

The security operatives are also expected to make sure that filling stations that have more than the required reserve sell the products to consumers who are struggling to purchase it.

The Leader of the Anti-Vandal Assistant Commandant Evans Imaro who is also the Head of the Unit disclosed that over 600 litres of Premium Motor Spirit were seized from the blackmarketers during the operation in Ekiti State with the owners taking to their heels thereby making it difficult to ascertain their owners as at press time.