Nigeria’s capital city, is once again grappling with fuel scarcity as long queues have resurfaced at filling stations across the city. The queues, which began on Thursday morning, persisted through Friday, causing traffic gridlocks in major parts of the city.

The immediate cause of the latest fuel scarcity remains unclear, with filling stations in Lugbe, the Central Business District, Wuse, Kubwa, and Jabi areas selling petrol at prices ranging between N660 and N700 per litre. However, NNPC retail outlets continue to sell the product at N617 per litre.
Our correspondent who visited petrol stations on Friday morning reported that while some filling stations had long queues, others were closed. Petrol hawkers were spotted in front of Conoil and TotalEnergies filling stations opposite the NNPC Tower, selling the product in 10-litre jerry cans for N9,500 to N10,000 to desperate motorists.

Motorists struggled to purchase fuel at various filling stations, including Saddi Kamil, MRS, and Salbas Oil and Gas Nig Ltd along Lugbe, Airport Road. Some stations, such as Shema and Bovas, were either not selling the product or were under lock and key.

The situation was similar at the NNPC filling station in Wuse Zone 3, the Optima filling station in Jabi, and the NNPC retail outlet in the Central Business District area (CBD). TotalEnergies and Azman Oil and Gas Nig Ltd in Wuse Zone 1 and 5, respectively, were open but claimed to have no petrol stock.

Motorists and officials at the affected filling stations expressed surprise and concern over the sudden fuel scarcity. An official at the Conoil filling station, identified as Mike, said, “Just yesterday, we noticed some kind of panic buying, but I cannot tell what the problem is.”

Collins Nwodo, a civil servant, expressed fears over the ripple effect of the queues in the coming days, stating, “By tomorrow, the situation might be worse than what is already on the ground. I just pray this queue should not exceed this weekend.”
Businessman Emeka Ani accused the government of playing games with the people, saying, “They know what they are doing using us to play a game, and this is very bad.”

Some motorists speculated that the government might be planning to increase the price of fuel to N1,000 per litre, causing panic buying and hoarding by filling stations. However, these claims remain unverified.

The return of fuel queues in Abuja has raised concerns about the potential impact on the city’s economy. Monday Benjamin, a motorist, warned, “If care is not taken, this could affect the economy of the city.”
Efforts to reach Olufemi Soneye, the chief corporate communications officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), for comment were unsuccessful as of press time on Friday evening.

As the fuel scarcity persists, residents of Abuja continue to grapple with the inconvenience and uncertainty surrounding the availability and pricing of petrol in the nation’s capital.