ILLEGAL MINI PETROLEUM DEPOT UNCOVERS IN ABUJA
cans, 200-liter drums, and 500 liter tanks were uncovered in a sting operation by the team in the city centre.
The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Maikanti Baru, while speaking at the illegal mini depot said it was saddening to make such discoveries in the city centre when less than 500 meters away, motorists were on endless queues. He noted that the perpetrators have caused untold pain and hardship on Nigerians during a crucial season as Christmas.
“In the war room (where crucial issues are discussed during fuel crises), we asked ourselves why the situation (fuel queues) persists’,he said. “We got an intelligence report of these mini depots and as you can see, these golf cars that are supposed to have 40 litres have tanks that can take 200 liters of petrol’,he added.
“This other one is a mini depot. Although some of the products are diesel, the DPR says it is unauthorised. We have over 50 days supply of diesel and so there is no reason to hoard the product.’’ In the same vein, Abuja Zonal Controller of DPR, Mohammed Abba, said twenty persons have been arrested in connection with those who sell in jerry cans in Zone One and their facilities.
“We are handing them over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, because the DPR has no capabilities to prosecute.
We will test for forensic analysis and we will pursue the case to court’’.
The Assistant Commandant-General Operations, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps,Aminu Abdullahi confirmed the handover of the suspects to the defence.
‘We have received the suspects and DPR will be called in for forensic analysis to test what was handed over,’’ he said.
