DPR in Minna Declares Sale of Petrol in Jerry Cans Illegal

Laleye Dipo

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has said the sale of petrol in jerrycans or other containers is illegal.

Operations Controller of the DPR in Minna, Alhaji Abdullahi Isah, disclosed this after officials of the organisation seized and destroyed scores of jerrycans being used to purchase fuel at some petrol filling stations in Minna and other towns in the state yesterday.

Isah said the DPR had discovered that owners of jerrycans and other containers were contributing to fuel scarcity in the state by buying in large quantities and selling at exorbitant rates in the black market.

“We will continue to impound and destroy any jerry can and other containers being used to buy fuel anywhere in the state,” Isah declared.

The controller also disclosed that the organisation had discovered that some vehicle owners had constructed special tanks for their vehicles some of which could take 300 litres as

against the maximum of 80 litres which they use to carry and in turn sell in the black markets.

“We are out to get these type of vehicles and their owners and will prosecute them accordingly.”

He disclosed that there had been a marginal improvement in the supply of petrol to the state, saying that the state now received between 10 and 12 trucks daily as against three and four about a month ago.

He expressed the hope that supply will reach the 30 trucks daily before the present scarcity.

Isah denied the claim that some marketers were selling fuel to black marketers in the night saying: “We have requested for evidence from members of the public but nobody has come forward with such evidence.”

However, he said the DPR had commenced monitoring the stations until they close for the day and would check their tanks first thing in the morning before commencement of the day’s business.

The controller told the public that neither the DPR nor state governments was responsible for supply of petrol to states as such scarcity should not be placed at their door steps.

“The responsibility of the DPR is to monitor sale and compliance with laid down rules especially pump price of petrol and other products.”