Due to shut down of filling stations in Imo state which caused confusion among motorists in the early hours of yesterday, a litre of fuel on Thursday, was sold between N300 and N400.
The ugly development was said to be as a result of an encounter between a tanker driver and a member of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), who allegedly shot the tanker driver, along Elele road in Port Harcourt on Wednesday night.
Some tanker drivers who were irked by the outcome of the incident, reportedly directed their members to suspend operations until the security operative involved was produced, before they can resume operations. As a way of expressing their disapproval of the incident against the tanker driver, filling stations in Imo State, joined the protest by shutting down operations.
A manager of a filling station along Okigwe road in Imo State, disclosed that some filling stations who have defied the order from above, sold the product at an exorbitant prize.
The development in major streets of Douglas, Egbu, Okigwe, Onitsha, Port-Harcourt road, reported that not all the filling stations were closed at the time and some who opened for business, did not sell at the pump prize of N145 per litre.
A bus driver, Kyrian Onyema, said: “I came out this morning and saw there was no fuel and when I saw fuel to buy, they were selling at N300 and N400 instead of 145 naira. This is too much for me.”
Consequently,
the situation also affected transport fares
especially within Owerri metropolis where citizens had to pay twice of
what they used to pay . Some who came all the way from the rural areas
were stranded, describing it as an unexpected and said it negatively
affected their budget for the day.