Forty five filling stations are to come under the weight of the law for the diversion of petroleum products to Chad, Cameroon and the Republic of Niger.
The Department of Petroleum Resources says it is working closely with other security agencies to uncover more of such unwholesome practices, to ensure their punishment, serves as a deterrent to others.
Correspondent, Owolabi Adenusi reports that with border communities serving as conduit for their illicit business, smugglers of petroleum products steal about 10 million litres of petrol per day, worth about two billion naira.
The DPR said erring business owners will not escape the long arm of the law.
Mohammed Abubakar, one of the Petroleum marketers in the DPR’s net, attempted to absolve himself of the crime. “I am not aware of these irregularities, when I am around I ensure that sales are handled with DPR standards, we don’t support irregularities at all,” Abubakar explained.
Residents of the state want more proactive measures to check illegal activities of Nigeria’s economic saboteurs.
DPR said it is poised to end smuggling of petroleum products as well as other violations of regulations by petrol dealers. What is left to be seen is how sustainable this effort will be and to what extent it will eradicate illegalities in the sector.
