Commander, Rapid Response Squad (RRS), ACP. Tunji Disu (2nd right); Divisional Police Officer, Isheri Police Station, Superintendent Olohunwa Ogundele (right), arresting the Manager and a Staff of Oando Filling Station for hoarding Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at Otedola/Omole along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, on Tuesday, April 05, 2016.

The operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command, have arrested the Manager of Oando Filling Station located along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Mr. Rasaq Fakorede, for selling petrol at  N180 and into Jerry cans.

This is in demonstration of instilling discipline in filling stations in Lagos State to desist selling premium motor spirit (PMS) popularly called Petroleum at exorbitant prices in the state.

The information at the disposals of the police has it that the petrol station was selling fuel to those hawkers who brought jerry cans to the station neglecting the other motorists.

The officers of the RRS bust the station and caught the station’s attendants selling fuel to people with Jerry cans while many other car users only lined up without any hope of buying fuel at the station.

RRS sources informed that the petrol station was dispensing the fuel to the public at the exorbitant price of N180 which was far-fetched from the regulated pump price of N86.50k.

The investigation further revealed that the station as at the time of the visit, still has  over 5,000 litres inside its underground tanks while refusing to sell to the motorists.

Aside this, about 30 jerry cans, some of which were filled withPMS kept inside inner offices waiting to be collected by their owners, were collected from the manager.

As a result of this, the station’s manager and the accountant, Ibrahim Adewale, were both arrested for hoarding fuel meant to be sold to members of the public.

Speaking with one of the motorists, who spoke on condition of anonymity, he said “we have been on queue since 4:00 a.m., this petrol station has refused to sell since that time. All they have been selling are jerry cans. Imagine them selling 25 litres at N7,000. They are saboteur to the development of this country.

“Imagine, this is my third time of lining up to queue for the fuel but at every time I come here, they never attended to those of us who came here with our cars even including commercial drivers. They only sell fuel into jerry cans”.

In his respond, Rasaq Fakorede, the manager of the filling station pleaded that he be pardoned and that he would organise his boys to start selling the fuel to the vehicles on queue.”

However, while the RRS was effecting the arrest of the manager, the Department of Petroleum Resources Taskforce arrived and confirmed that the station still has over 4000 litres of fuel in its reserves.

The Manager and the station’s head of account have been handed over to the Isheri Divisional Police Station for transfer to the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters in Ikeja.