Abuja Driver Loses Car While Buying Petrol From Roadside Vendors (Photo)

The biting fuel scarcity has cost a yet-to-be-identified Abuja-based driver his car after patronizing a roadside petrol vendor popularly called the ‘black market’ on Wednesday.

According to reports, fire gutted the car, a Volkswagen Golf, completely destroying it after its owner emptied a jerry can fill with petrol into the tank of the vehicle.

The incident had reportedly occurred along the Kubwa Expressway, between Gwarimpa Estate and Katampe.

One of the petrol vendors who witnessed the scene revealed that the driver was rushed to the National Hospital after sustaining injuries from the fire incident.

Another eyewitness who pleaded anonymity could not ascertain what caused the fire as she got to the scene when people around were trying to put out the fire.

When contacted, a member of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) emergency response team at Setraco Gate, Gwarinpa told the Whistler that “we don’t know what happened, we rushed the person to the National hospital.”

PMAN Explains Fuel Hike/ Scarcity

Meanwhile, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Western Zone, has come out to explain why there is a hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol.

According to the association, the increase in the pump price of fuel was attributed to a hike in private depot prices.

Naija News gathered the IPMAN chairman in the western zone, Alhaji Dele Tajudeen, was reported to have said that the price of fuel at the depot went fuel from N148.17 per litre to N178 per litre last week.

Tajudeen, who bemoaned the increase in the depot price, said none of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC) depots has the product and the private depots took advantage of the situation to hike the price.

He further said that Nigerians should not blame private marketers for the increase in the pump price of fuel, noting that selling at N170 per litre is not realistic.