The Kano State Special Task Force Committee on Petroleum Products has imposed a fine of N4.2 million on a Forte Oil filling station for allegedly hoarding fuel and selling it to motorists at unofficial prices late in the night.
Chairman of the Taskforce Rabiu Ahmed Bako who briefed newsmen on the issue said the filling station was discovered when three pick-up vans loaded with petrol were intercepted by “our gallant officers during a patrol at night.”
According to him, upon interrogation, the drivers of the vehicles said they procured the fuel from a Forte Oil station along Hadejia road in Kano city, adding that the manager of the station and some attendants had been arrested.
“When our patrol team visited the station, we found that the attendants were operating under the cover of darkness around 02:23 late hours and dispensing fuel to motorists using flash lights.
“As we approached the station, some of the attendants scaled the wall and escaped but we have arrested the manager and others,” he said.
The chairman alleged that a few days ago, the manager of the station had obtained 33,000 litres of petrol from the Kano NNPC depot for distribution to the public at N87, but instead of doing so, he hoarded the fuel and began selling it to motorists and vendors at exorbitant prices in the dead of the night, which as a result left Kano people in hard situation of buying petrol.
Based on the mandate of the taskforce, Bako said, the station was charged a fine of N150 on each of the 28,000 litres it had sold out of the 33,000 litres, making a total of N4.2 million, saying the station had been suspended from operations until it pays the fine.
He added that the 2,500 litres confiscated from the three pick-up vans will be auctioned to the public very soon to Kano people at an affordable price.
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