Petrol scarcity hit different parts of Nigeria, forcing motorists to spend hours at filling stations while battling to get the product.
The fuel scarcity started on Monday extending to Wednesday without any sign of the lines reducing.
Black marketers had a field day, selling a litre of fuel at N300-N400 in many parts of the country. Many motorists were forced to patronise them as the unpalatable alternative was to wait for hours in filling stations.
Amid long queues and waiting hours in Lagos, some filling stations sold a litre of the Premium Motor Spirit at N200/litre as against the approved price of N180-N185/litre.
One of our correspondents who visited some filling stations around Ikotun, Egbeda and Ojodu Berger areas on Monday and Tuesday witnessed long queues at the few stations that managed to sell.
A businessman, Kayode Oloriegbe, said he could not wait to buy from filling stations, but had to patronise a black marketer who sold at N300/litre.
“I was lucky to buy a 10-litre gallon at N3,500. Others said they bought at higher prices from the black marketers,”.
A tricyclist, Ade said, “Black marketers sell five litres at N1,700 at Ago Palace during the day and N2500 at night. This is a normal thing. Whenever we are approaching the end of the year, we mostly witness fuel scarcity.”
The long queues have caused traffic gridlock on many roads in Lagos, Abuja, Oyo, and Ogun.
Fuel scarcity was first observed at the beginning of October in the state and was attributed to the flooding witnessed along some of the routes which vehicles supplying fuel passed through.
However, some commuters and motorists believe that fuel scarcity is more or less artificial.
A lecturer at a University in Katsina said, “I believe the fuel scarcity is more or less artificial, instead of all these flooding reasons being given as excuses.”