The Bauchi Office of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) intercepted 135,000 litres of diesel that were being diverted to an unlicensed fuel station.
Abdullahi Iliyasu, the Operations Controller of the agency in Bauchi State said yesterday that the culprits would be sanctioned.
He said the interception of the diesel was made possible through surveillance on the movement of petroleum products across the state.
He explained that the diesel was intercepted in three unregistered trucks, each conveying 45,000 litres.
“Those involved use fuel stations to discharge the diesel and later take them back into waiting trucks for distribution to illegal stations,” Iliyasu said.
He said the agency would take a sample of the diesel for laboratory analysis to determine its quality for proper documentation.
The agency sealed 35 fuel stations in Bauchi recently for flouting operational codes.
Also yesterday, the agency shut seven fuel stations and queried proprietors of three others in Adamawa over sharp practices.
Mr Sadiq Ibrahim, the Operations Controller disclosed this to reporters in Yola yesterday.
He said the NMDPRA shut the stations within two weeks of surveillance to address the problem of artificial scarcity of petroleum products in Adamawa State capital.
“In the past two weeks, we shut seven fuel stations. We do not close business facilities unless we are compelled to do so.
“Three of them were able to pay penalties to the government and we unsealed them. Four are still sealed.
“We queried proprietors of three other fuel stations; the latest being yesterday,” he said.
Ibrahim further explained that the seven petrol stations shut were selling petroleum products above the approved pump price, while the queried stations allegedly diverted petroleum products to other stations without approval.
He said one of the proprietors that were queried gave satisfactory responses and was guided on how to avoid a repeat of the offence.
Ibrahim called on people in Adamawa State not to resort to panic buying petroleum products as there was enough in stock.
He also appealed to petroleum products marketers to play the game by the rules.
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