Twelve petroleum marketers were arrested on Friday in Kogi State for allegedly removing Nigeria Mainstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA)’s closure seal and returning to petrol sale at their various stations.
The petrol marketers were apprehended by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), who collaborated with the NMDPRA.
In June this year, NMDPRA reportedly sealed 50 out of 90 fuel stations operating in Kogi state over offences ranging from expired licenses and under-dispensing of products, among others.
However, yesterday when the Kogi Command of the NSCDC, in collaboration with the surveillance team of NMDPRA, went about checking the activities of some petroleum stations across the state, it was discovered that the marketers had reopened some of the sealed stations.
Giving an update on the development, the spokesperson of the NSCDC, Alex Agiri, said the suspected petroleum marketers were arrested in Lokoja, Idah, Ankpa, Anyingba and Ajaokuta.
“It’s against the rule that a marketer will remove the closure seal when a filling station is found wanting; that is a grievous offence,” Daily Trust quoted Agiri.
On his part, the State Coordinator of NMDPRA, Engr. Ogbe Orits Godwin said his surveillance team has been subjected to consistent harassment from some marketers who have violated the law of dispensing petrol products.
He added that the arrested marketers who were caught tampering with NMDPRA seals would be sanctioned for such infractions, including paying a fine to the federation account or risk jail term as enshrined in the law.
