Commuters and motorists in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) may face a difficult week, as fuel stations have shut their pumps over a lack of petrol.
Nigeria Info observed that no fewer than eight stations in Lokogoma and Gaduwa districts of the FCT have stopped selling petrol.
All of them said their current stock is finished.
Motorists lined up at a Shema Filling Station as soon as they heard that the station just brought in a truckload of petrol.
“This afternoon I took my cousin to the airport. Just to my surprise, I saw queue everywhere, as at yesterday there was nothing of such, just this afternoon I saw.
“So when I dropped him I tried to see if I can top my fuel. But there’s no way, so I had to go home.
“It’s now that a friend of mine just called me that I should come down here… that they just offload fuel in Shema here,” a car owner said.
He was able to refuel after queuing for 30 minutes.
NNPC Responds
On Sunday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said that the scarcity was due to “low loadouts” and a high volume of purchases by residents who had just returned from the Eid holidays.
“The NNPC Ltd notes the sudden appearance of fuel queues in parts of Abuja.
“This is very likely due to low loadouts at depots which usually happen during long public holidays, in this case, the Sallah celebrations,” a statement signed by the NNPC spokesman, Garba Deen Muhammad read.
“Another contributing factor to the sudden appearances of queues is the increased fuel purchases which are also usual with returning residents of the FCT from the public holidays.”
Nigeria has had a history of fuel scarcity, the latest being in February when the NNPC recalled already distributed petrol after commuters complained it was contaminated.
