Residents complain about fuel shortage in Jigawa, Edo youth protest

Some youths took to the streets in Benin City, Edo state, on Monday to protest against the continued fuel scarcity that is rocking the country.

On Thursday, some protesters had also blocked the Lagos-Benin Expressway at Oluku Junction to express their displeasure at the rise in fuel prices and the scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit.

The PUNCH reports that the protesting youths also blocked the road on Monday and started a bonfire.

Video of the protest shown Monday morning showed fires on the road with thick clouds of smoke rising from the burning materials.

The Nigeria news agency also reports that the price of petrol has risen to N340 per liter in Dutse, the capital of Jigawa state, adding that the situation has exposed residents, especially motorists, to hardship due to the scarcity of raw materials.

A NAN correspondent who monitored gas stations on Sunday noted that long queues of vehicles disrupted normal operations at the stations.

The filling stations sold the product at an exorbitant cost of N340 per litre.

Also, most gas stations in the city were closed for a long time.

At Awajil Global Resources, IMG Petroleum, Maruta Petroleum and Investment, all on the Ibrahim Aliyu by-pass, motorists and commercial motorcyclists stood in long lines waiting to refuel their tanks.

Also the Audu Manager gas station and AA Kankani Nig. Ltd, on Olusegun Obasanjo Road, had long lines of vehicles and also sold the product for the same price.

Filling stations such as ASA Oil Nig. Ltd., B. A Bello Nig. Ltd and Matrix, all on Ibrahim Aliyu bye-pass, did not have or sell the product.

One motorist, Malam Aminu Muhammad, described the situation as frustrating and urged the federal government and other concerned authorities to find lasting solutions to the chaos.

Muhammad Askira also said the federal government should ensure that safety agencies monitor the gas stations and ensure that products are sold at the approved price.

A farmer, Ahmad Rufa’i, also said that he had to produce at a loss because of the ugly situation.

“I plant wheat corn and every week I need at least 20 liters to water my farms. And I have to water these two farms at least 20 times.

“So, how much money do you expect me to spend on fuel only, not transportation and other logistics?

“So most of us do this farming without any certainty of whether we will win or lose,” Rufa’i said.

NAN understood that the gas station management declined to comment on the situation because “we are not authorized to speak to the press”.