Some youths have taken to the streets in Benin City, Edo State, on Monday, to protest the persistent fuel scarcity rocking the country.
On Thursday, some protesters had also blocked the Lagos-Benin Expressway at Oluku Junction to express their grievance about the rise in fuel prices and the scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit.
Th punch reports that the protesting youths also blocked the road on Monday and set a bonfire.
A video of the protest seen on Monday morning showed fires on the road with thick smoke billowing from the burning materials.
The News Agency of Nigeria also reports that petrol price has risen to N340 per litre in Dutse, the Jigawa State Capital, adding that the situation has subjected the residents, especially motorists, to hardships due to the scarcity of the commodity.
A NAN correspondent who monitored petrol filling stations on Sunday observed that long queues of vehicles distorted normalcy at the stations.
The filling stations were selling the product at an exorbitant cost of N340 per litre.
Also, most of the filling stations within the city were not open for a long period.
At Awajil Global Resources, IMG Petroleum, Maruta Petroleum, and Investment, all on Ibrahim Aliyu by-pass, motorists and commercial motorcyclists were in long queues waiting to refuel their tanks.
Also, Audu Manager filling station and AA Kankani Nig. Ltd, on Olusegun Obasanjo Road, had long queues of vehicles and were also selling the product at the same price.
Filling stations like A.S.A Oil Nig. Ltd., B. A Bello Nig. Ltd and Matrix, all on Ibrahim Aliyu bye-pass, were either not having or selling the product.
A motorist, Malam Aminu Muhammad, described the situation as frustrating and urged the Federal Government and other authorities concerned to bring lasting solutions to the chaos.
Also commenting, Muhammad Askira, said the Federal Government should ensure that security agencies monitored the filling stations and ensure that products were sold at the approved price.
Also, a farmer, Ahmad Rufa’i, said the ugly situation was making him produce at loss.
“I plant wheat maize and every week I need at least 20 litres to water my farms. And I need to water these two farms at least 20 times.
“So, how much money do you expect me to spend on fuel alone, not talk of transport and other logistics?
“So, most of us are doing this farming without any certainty of whether we will gain or lose,” Rufa’i said.
NAN gathered that the management of the filling stations declined comments on the situation, because “we are not authorised to speak to the press.”
