The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has sealed six independent marketers’ filling stations in Sokoto Northwest of Nigeria and its vicinity for various offences. This was disclosed by the Zonal Operations Controller of the Department in charge of Sokoto and Kebbi states, Alhaji Mohammed Makera.

Five out of the six filling stations were sealed on the charge of selling petrol above the official pump price of N87 per litre. They were fined with N100,000 each.

Meanwhile, the sixth filling station was sealed for hoarding petroleum products and was fined N200, 000.

The state has been suffering from shortage of petroleum products due to the closure of some filling stations. This in turn led to other station owners who still have the products increasing the pump price.

“All the sealed filling stations would not be reopened until they write an undertaking to sell petroleum products at government-approved pump prices,” Makera told Leadership news warning marketers against violating government regulations and also pledged to sanction any erring filling station in the two states.