DPR Intercepts 225,000 Liters Of Petrol Worth N32 Million In Kano

The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, says it has intercepted 225,000 liters of Premium motor spirit, (PMS Petrol) being diverted to an unknown destination, with an official  street value of  over  N32 million in Kano.

The downstream regulator said it is also hunting for the recovery of another set of 58 trucks of petrol meant for Kano and Jigawa  that were diverted in recent times.

The Head of Operations, DPR Kano, Engineer, Paul Jezhi disclosed while inspecting the intercepted trucks alongside newsmen at the NNPC depot Maiduguri road Kano.

He said the success was recorded based on a new strategy adopted by the agency by focusing more attention on depots where the fuel is being taken from rather than filling stations as it were.

 He said the ongoing recovery effort is a joint effort of the NNPC, PPMC and the DPR based on through inspection and surveillance aimed at curtailing the lingering fuel scarcity in the country.

“the five trucks meant for  Kano and Jigawa state were diverted a week ago, they were returned to the Depot after we embarked on operation in an effort to make sure we bring to an end the issue of diverting fuel to another places.”

“We have earlier sent a letter to the marketer to either pay the economic rate of N200 per litre or return the diverted products, and they have returned them.”

He said the recovered fuel will soon be sold to the public at the official pump price of N145 per liter.

He warned that any marketer found wanting will be dealt with according to the law as the exercise is a continuous one.

“as from now, our officials would follow up any truck to make sure that the product is taken to the filling stations because a lot of things do happen along the way to stations.”

The Kano NNPC Depot Manager, Engineer Garba Llng confirmed the interception of the trucks and their locations at the NNPC Kano depot premises.

The Managing Director, U.I.G petroleum, the company that was alleged to have diverted the 5 trucks said the diversion was occasioned by the fact that “the product was bought from a licensed depot, Folawiyo in lagos southern Nigeria at the cost of N160 per litre,”stressing that “any attempt to sell the fuel at the official price of N145 per litter would amount to colossal lost, hence the attempt to divert the product to a higher bidder before they were caught..