News
Petrol scarcity: NNPC rations product as Fuel crisis worsens
Despite claims by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited that the logistic issues causing fuel scarcity had been addressed, Nigerians in Lagos and other parts of the country were still struggling to get Premium Motor Spirit as many filling stations remained under lock and key throughout the weekend.
The PUNCH independently gathered that the situation might worsen in Lagos and other parts of the South-West like Ogun, Oyo, Osun and others because there was a directive by the NNPCL that fuel trucks must first service the Federal Capital Territory before any other place.
As a result, the majority of trucks leaving the depots in Lagos since Friday were heading for Abuja.
Officials of the NNPCL and marketers told our correspondents that there was a directive that depots should service Abuja filling stations before any other part of the nation. They worried that queues might linger for the next three days in the South-West.
According to the oil sector sources, hundreds of trucks loaded on Saturday were sent to Abuja based on the NNPCL directive.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the press on the matter, also disclosed that the product was being rationed by the NNPCL, which now allocates 5,000 metric tonnes of fuel instead of 10,000MT to depots.
“Because of the scarcity, there are directives that the product should be rationed. Depots now get about 220 trucks, which is half what they usually get. This is happening because of the erratic supply. If the NNPCL had enough supply, it would give everybody what they needed, and there would be no queues,” one of the officials stated.
According to an operator, the erratic supply has been caused by the national energy company’s inability to import enough at the moment.
“The cause of the erratic supply is because the NNPCL does not have enough fuel imported. Regardless of the money or anything, the NNPCL sometimes experiences glitches in its supply. For example, at the NNPCL Jetty in Apapa, as of Saturday, there was only one tanker at ASPM which can take about 40,000 metric tonnes; the three other reception points had no PMS vessel.
“Whenever the NNPCL has disruptions in importation, we start having these issues. They will try hard to manage it, but it will later blow open. Last week, they said it was a result of logistics, but this is not about logistics; it’s about glitches in importation.
“All our trucks now are heading to Abuja. There was a directive to all dealers and marketers that they should serve Abuja first. All regulatory agencies know that products will go to Abuja until normalcy is restored. You can have your truck in the depot now for three to four days; they will just be telling you to hold on. You will not know what is happening. You will see other trucks going, not knowing their location determines their loading ahead of you,” the operator noted.
He added, “The South West will likely experience more queues in the next two to three days because the Abuja loading will continue until Monday. The government is prioritising Abuja; they want the seat of power to have enough fuel supply.”
Speaking, the National Vice President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Hammed Fashola, expressed hope that the queues in Lagos and Ogun would ease off between Monday and Wednesday, relying on the words of the NNPCL.
Fashola, however, stated that the queues in Abuja might tarry a bit due to the distance to Lagos.
“The information available to us from the NNPCL was that there was a logistics problem, and when that happens, it will disrupt the supply chain. That might be a delay in the movement of ships from the mother vessel to the daughter vessel before it gets to the depot tanks. Before we can correct that, surely it will take some days. I think by Tuesday or Wednesday, there will be more products available for lifting by marketers. It might take time before it can ease off in Abuja, considering the distance to Lagos and the bad roads; Lagos might be calm this new week,” Fashola assured.
NNPC faults claim
When told that it was gathered that NNPC was rationing PMS supply and prioritising supply to Abuja, thereby causing scarcity in South-West, the spokesperson for the NNPC, Olufemi Soneye, declared that the claim was totally false.
“Completely false. That is false information. Is he (the dealer) tracking every truck to determine their destinations? If there are disruptions in fuel distribution for two-three days, it usually takes twice that time to return to normal. The situation should improve soon. One important point to note is that we have product availability.
“If they are familiar with the industry, they should be aware of this. Products need to be delivered to the states,” Soneye explained.
The PUNCH reported that the scarcity, which started last week, has continued to spread despite the NNPCL’s assurances on Thursday that the issues had been addressed.
Our correspondent reports that the Ogun State residents have been lamenting the lack of fuel since last week. Fuel has become a scarce commodity from Abeokuta to the West and East of the Gateway State.
Many filling stations in Abeokuta did not dispense fuel on Sunday. The very few ones dispensing fuel sold a litre of petrol at the rate of N670, N700 and above.
At the NNPCL, where the product was sold at N580/litre, there were long queues of motorists who spent hours waiting and fighting one another to buy fuel. As a result, black marketers made brisk business selling to willing buyers at higher prices ranging from N700 to N900.
People living in border communities like Idiroko said they now buy fuel at the rate of N1,200 from black marketers, saying the current scarcity exacerbated the effect of the ban on fuel supply in their areas.
“The 20km ban on fuel supply in border communities is really affecting us at the Idiroko border,” said Mr Femi Abel, a civil servant in Ajegunle.
As of Sunday, only the Heyden filling station sold fuel in Iperu, Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State, and there was a long queue of buyers.
Along the Mowe-Ibafo corridor of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, our correspondent observed that a number of filling stations were under lock and key.
The NNPCL station near the Sagamu Interchange had long queues. The Danco and Conoil filling stations around the area were also shut. The Petrocam and Habeeb stations at the RCCG Bus Stop also had queues.
Reactions have trailed to trail the disclosure by the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, that Nigerian soldiers now earn a minimum monthly salary of N100,000 following recent welfare reforms by the Federal Government.
Veterans and serving personnel have described the amount as grossly inadequate in the face of Nigeria’s rising cost of living, while some accused the Federal Government of failing to implement a more substantial salary review promised months ago.
The criticism comes amid renewed concerns over troop welfare, military funding, and the effectiveness of efforts to boost morale among personnel battling insecurity across the country.
A retired soldier, Abdul Isiak, argued that the current salary falls far short of what is needed to meet basic living expenses.
“It is not enough at all. What is N100,000 in the current situation of the country? It cannot go far. They should do better. If soldiers are paid more, they will be more motivated and committed to their duties,” he said.
Another retired military officer, Sergeant Zaki Williams, questioned the accuracy of the figure disclosed by the minister and described the amount as inadequate for personnel who risk their lives in service to the nation.
“I doubt if they are even paying up to that amount now. Even if they are, it is too little. Any government paying a soldier N100,000 in today’s economy is not serious enough about the welfare of its troops,” he said.
Williams noted that soldiers face enormous challenges and deserve better remuneration and working conditions.
Also reacting, the Coordinator of the Coalition for Concerned Veterans, Abiodun Herbert-Durowaye, said the salary does not reflect the sacrifices made by military personnel.
“How can that be sufficient for someone putting his life on the line for the country? Consider the cost of food, housing, transportation, and children’s education. N100,000 is far from adequate for those responsible for protecting the nation’s peace and security,” he stated.
The reactions followed comments by the Minister of Defence during an interview with News Central, where he disclosed that the minimum monthly salary of soldiers had increased from N49,000 to N100,000 under the current administration.
According to the minister, the Federal Government has made deliberate efforts to improve troop welfare despite funding challenges facing the military.
“When they started, a soldier was collecting N49,000 monthly. We tried so hard, now he’s collecting N100,000,” he said.
Musa, however, acknowledged that the defence sector remains underfunded and requires greater financial support to effectively address the country’s security challenges.
The minister also advocated stricter penalties for kidnapping, including the possibility of introducing the death penalty for convicted kidnappers, arguing that stronger deterrents are necessary to curb the growing wave of abductions across the country.
The debate over soldiers’ welfare comes at a time when the military continues to confront multiple security threats, with stakeholders insisting that improved remuneration, better equipment, and enhanced welfare packages are critical to boosting morale and operational effectiveness.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced that travellers in the United States seeking Nigerian visas must now submit their applications directly at Nigerian diplomatic missions following the termination of its contract with a third-party visa processing company.
The new directive, which takes immediate effect, ends the role previously played by Online Integrated Solutions (OIS Services), which had been responsible for receiving and processing Nigerian visa applications through its centres across the United States.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the NIS Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, said visa applicants are now required to submit their documents directly at the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, D.C., or at the Nigerian Consulates in New York and Atlanta until further notice.
The immigration service did not state the reason for ending its partnership with OIS Services.
However, Akinlabi assured applicants that adequate measures have been put in place at the embassy and consulates to ensure a smooth transition. He added that visa submission, processing and approval would continue without disruption.
He also urged prospective travellers to monitor the official communication channels of the Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigerian diplomatic missions in the United States for updates on visa application procedures.
A Professor of Economics and Governance, Prof. Chiwuike Uba, has called on South African Government to take active responsibility of protecting foreigner and desist from ‘compromising inaction’.
Uba, Chairman of the ACUF Initiative for Policy and Governance, made the call on Thursday in Enugu in a statement he titled: “South Africa Is Playing with Fire, and Its Elites Are Holding the Match”.
He said that the lack of intentional action against the individuals and groups perpetrate the xenophobic attacks, who are non-state actors, raises serious questions under international law.
The don noted that “protection of non-nationals is a clear obligation, not a discretionary act.”
According to him, persistent failure to uphold this responsibility undermines both legal commitments and diplomatic credibility.
Uba said that the implications of the development extend far beyond South Africa, adding that it would have economically, politically and diplomatically consequences both to the country and Africa in general.
He noted that economically, the country is not just another market.
“It is a continental anchor. Its financial systems, industrial base, and regional linkages make it central to African growth.
“Prolonged instability would ripple outward, constraining trade, deterring investment, and weakening regional integration,” he said.
On the Political aspect, he said that South Africa had long been seen as a model of democratic transition and constitutionalism.
“If that model begins to fracture, it sends a powerful signal across the continent.
“It emboldens those who argue that institutional democracy cannot deliver, and it weakens reformist voices elsewhere,” he said.
Uba said that diplomatically, xenophobic violence is not a domestic issue when it targets foreign nationals.
He said, “It is an international concern that tests regional solidarity and diplomatic patience.
“Each episode forces other African governments to respond, balancing domestic outrage with the need to preserve bilateral relations.”
The don noted that over time, the balance in the country would becomes harder to maintain as non-state actors would be emboldened to perpetrate other unlawful acts as they view the government as weak or inactive.
The Apex sociocultural youth organization of the Igbo race worldwide, Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), has described the current arrest made by the Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offence (ICPC) against former Minister of Science and Technology and the 2027 People Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Enugu State, Hon. Uche Nnaji, regarding his certificate, as a deliberate political witch-hunt orchestrated by the Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency Gov. Peter Mbah.
In a press address in Enugu on Wednesday, 8th July 2026, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), called on Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to maintain the commission’s ethical standards, threatening to seek his removal if evidence confirms the alleged bias of ICPC in favor of Governor Peter Mbah against Hon. Uche Nnaji regarding the 2027 Guber election.
*The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) revealed that the fight against Hon. Uche Nnaji is a battle for the Enugu Governorship and the “Lions Building Seat” in 2027, and dismissed the certificate forgery allegations against Uche Nnaji as a political distraction and blackmail.*
The surreptitious entry into the court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to obtain a court order detaining Hon Uche Nnaji is a teleguided executive overreach attributed to Gov Peter Mbah apparently aimed at silencing Hon Uche Nnaji, which is highly censurable.
The Council stated that “A court of competent jurisdiction is presently handling the unsubstantiated certificate forgery case, and the University of Nigeria Nsukka and Hon Uche Nnaji have opted for an out-of-court settlement, following recent findings of misinformation.
Therefore, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), should maintain a neutral stance regarding the Enugu State Governorship battle to preserve his reputation built through his legal career and public service, and avoid being perceived as succumbing to Governor Peter Mbah’s alleged attempts to utilize executive power to blackmail and witch-hunt Hon. Uche Nnaji.
The Ohanaeze Youth Council(OYC) warned Governor Peter Mbah to concentrate on fulfilling his unfulfilled campaign promises to Enugu State rather than chasing Hon Uche Nnaji through the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)
Families displaced by the recent fire outbreak in the Asata area of Enugu have received immediate relief from the Enugu State Government following the intervention of Governor Peter Mbah, who directed that palliative support be provided to ease their suffering.
Chairman of the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (ESEMA), Chinasa Mbah, disclosed that the agency promptly delivered the relief materials in compliance with the governor’s directive.
“We have given them some palliative as directed by His Excellency. Our report has equally gone in, and we await further instructions,” Mbah said.
She explained that ESEMA has completed its assessment of the incident and submitted its recommendations to the state government, adding that additional assistance for the affected families will depend on the governor’s approval of the agency’s report.
The swift response underscores Governor Mbah’s commitment to standing with citizens in times of distress. The victims, whose homes and belongings were destroyed in the fire that gutted two flats in a two-storey building on Church Road, Asata, are expected to receive further support as the government considers ESEMA’s recommendations.
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