Susan Edeh
28 September, Sweetcrude, Bauchi — Officers of the Department of State Security, SSS, in Bauchi State, Tuesday, stormed Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, filling station at Gidan Mai area of Bauchi metropolis and arrested six persons for allegedly hoarding kerosene.
They also forced the station to sell the commodity to the public at the official price of N50 per litre.
Speaking to reporters at the filling station, SSS Assistant Director, Mr. Olu Justine, said the service had been observing activities at the station for some time. He said the station always refused to sell the commodity to the public each time there was supply, but prefers to sell to black marketers from 2am when most people were sleeping.
He said his men stormed the station at 2am on Monday and discovered that kerosene was being sold to some dealers, adding that two attendants, three dealers and the station manager were arrested.
According to Justine, the station hoarded about 11,000 litres of kerosene which it was selling to some dealers at the time the security officials arrested the suspects.
“We have been monitoring them for a while now. Fortunately for us, we were able to get them early in the morning at about 2am selling kerosene to some people with the aid of light from torch. We were able to arrest two attendants, three dealers and the manager of the station.
“When we came this morning to take stock, we found 11,000 litres left.
‘It is the 11,000 litres that we are now selling to the public at government-controlled price of N50 per litre. We are not going to leave here until this is exhausted.” He added that appropriate sanctions would be meted out to the suspects to serve as a deterrent to others.
Justine also warned that the service was on the trail of other filling stations in the habit of hoarding kerosene and other petroleum products in the state.
“This will serve as warning to others. Let them continue, but one day, we shall get them.”
