Some filling stations in Yola, the Adamawa capital are selling petrol as high as N220 per litre as acute fuel scarcity hit the town.

On Sunday, most filling stations remained shut around the metropolis and the few that were dispensing fuel did so at exorbitant prices higher than the approved rate of N165 per litre.

At the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) station and other major marketers, long queues of motorists who spent several hours on queues to refill their vehicles were observed.

The situation also led to the resurgence of black market operators who sold the product at exorbitant prices.

Some of the motorists who spoke with NAN decried the situation, saying it had exposed them to difficulties.

Auwalu Adamu, a commercial bus operator, said that he spent about five hours on line to refill his tank.

“The situation is worrisome, and it affected my business because I waited many hours in the queue to refill my vehicle,” he said.

Another motorist, Hussaini Isa, said that he bought four-litre of petrol at N1,200 at the black outlets.

Reacting, Dahiru Buba, Chairman, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) incharge of Adamawa and Taraba States, attributed the scarcity to hikes in landing cost at the NNPC depot in Port Harcourt.

Mr Buba said that their members were lifting the product at N180 per litre at Port Harcourt depot, adding that they also spent N18 on transportation of the product from Port Harcourt to Adamawa.

Also, Ishaku Zira, a black market operator, who described the trade as lucrative, said that he was enjoying appreciable patronage occasioned by the fuel scarcity.

He said that a litre of petrol was sold at N300 while a four-litre goes for N1,200.

(NAN)