Sokoto and neighbouring states are grappling with severe fuel scarcity, plunging residents into hardship and frustration as prices soar to unprecedented levels.
Black market vendors in Sokoto, in particular, are charging exorbitant rates, with patrol fetching as high as N2000 per litre, exacerbating the already dire situation.
The scarcity has crippled businesses and daily activities, rendering life increasingly challenging for residents across the region. Commuters are bearing the brunt, encountering locked filling stations and resorting to purchasing fuel from black market sellers at inflated prices, reaching as high as N2,500 per litre in the state capital.
Expressing their distress, residents have called on the government to intervene urgently, fearing further deterioration of the situation. They lamented that the scarcity is disrupting business operations and exacerbating the already tough living conditions in the region.
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According to Channels TV reports, the scarcity has prompted concerns among residents about the dwindling availability of fuel on the black market, leading to a standstill in business and other activities in the state capital.
Despite the outcry from citizens, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) attributed the scarcity and resurgence of long queues in Lagos, Abuja, and other states to logistical challenges. However, the NNPCL assured the public that the issues have been resolved.
In a statement, the NNPCL emphasized that the prices of petroleum products remain unchanged and urged Nigerians to refrain from panic buying, reassuring them of the country’s sufficient fuel supply.
“The tightness in the supply of Premium Motor Spirit currently being experienced in some areas across the country is a result of logistics issues and that they have been resolved,” stated the NNPCL.
As the fuel scarcity persists, residents await tangible solutions from the authorities to alleviate their plight and restore normalcy to daily life in Sokoto and surrounding areas.