The deliberate act of fuel dealers hoarding petrol has resulted in significant hardship for the people of Nigeria, according to Osun state government.

Amid the current fuel scarcity in Nigeria, Governor Ademola Adeleke, who leads the Osun State Government, has issued a warning that filling stations found to be hoarding Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, will be closed.

In a statement released on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor stated, “Any fuel station found guilty of hoarding fuel to create artificial scarcity shall be sealed off, and the operators will face prosecution for committing the crime of economic sabotage.”

The recent fuel scarcity in the country followed the declaration by Nigeria’s new President, Bola Tinubu, who announced on Monday that the era of subsidizing fuel had come to an end.

“Farewell to fuel subsidies,” declared Tinubu in his inaugural speech on May 29 at the Eagle Square, after being sworn in as Nigeria’s 16th President. He further explained that the 2023 Budget did not allocate any funds for fuel subsidies, and the justification for subsidy payments no longer exists.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has expressed support for Tinubu’s decision to remove fuel subsidies.

Since the presidential pronouncement, fuel queues have reappeared across the country as Nigerians struggle to find the essential product.

In its warning to marketers, the Osun State Government emphasized that the deliberate hoarding of PMS by fuel dealers in the state, following Tinubu’s statement, has caused unnecessary hardship for the people.

“This deliberate action is not only cruel but also unpatriotic and will not be tolerated by the government. As a result, the Special Monitoring Team on fuel scarcity, established by His Excellency Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke and led by the Chief of Staff, Hon Kazeem Akinleye, remains active and will not condone any form of economic sabotage.

“Starting from today, May 30, 2023, the Committee will initiate special monitoring of all filling stations across the state in collaboration with law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders,” the statement concluded.