The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps in Edo, on Saturday, clamped down on filling stations hoarding fuel and those selling above the approved pump price of N165.

The exercise took the corps round fuel stations on Airport road, Akpakpava road, Sapele road and Ugbo road, all within the state capital.

Fuel stations selling above N165 pump price were made to revert to not more than the N165 as a majority of the fuel stations were observed to be selling at between N205 and N220 per litre.

Aniekan Udoeyop, the state commandant of the corps, told journalists during the exercise that the clampdown had become imperative as the actions of the fuel stations and their owners were creating artificial scarcity in the state.

“For crying out loud, any fuel station which is not ready to sell at normal price should close down,” he said.

Mr Udoeyop lamented that in spite of the earlier warning to the fuel station owners and operators, some of them were not only hoarding products but also selling above the N165 pump price.

“But here we are today, seeing some stations selling for as much as N220 per litre.

“This is bad, and the height of wickedness for these fuel station owners and operators to capitalise on a little mistake from the government and punish their fellow human beings.

“For those stations with fuel, but hoarding it, we will ensure they remain closed, so we are coming back to seal them up,” he said.

Mr Udoeyop disclosed that all the persons arrested during the clampdown would face the law, while stations sealed would not be re-opened until they normalise their metre.

Some of the stations visited include Mende Gas, Hifly petrol, Elilove oil and Raptor oil, DVD oil and VOE oil where fuel were observed to be sold between N205 and N220 per litre.

Also, 12 fuel attendants/managers were arrested during the exercise.

(NAN)