A litre of petrol is selling for as high as N1,700 in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, and its environs, following the sudden shutdown of petrol stations by marketers in the town who declared a three-day warning strike.

The development forced desperate motorists and commercial motorcycle operators to resort to black market operators, who are making a brisk business by selling the product for between N1,600 and N1,700, depending on the part of town they are located in.

It was gathered that marketers on Tuesday shut their outlets in the town in solidarity with Petrol Tanker Drivers, PTD, branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, in the state, who supposedly called a three-day warning strike.

A member of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, in the state, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that members resolved to shut their outlets in solidarity with PTD members.

He traced the issue to a few years ago, during the immediate past administration, when some youths on the Makurdi-Aliade road attacked a petrol-laden truck and siphoned its product.

He explained that the government at the time promised to compensate the owners of the truck and the product for the loss they suffered, but this was not done before the administration?s exit.

He said, ?Since then, the matter has been on the ground, and when this new administration came on board, NUPENG and IPMAN approached the government, but they were rebuffed.

?So the leadership of the two Unions decided that we go on three days warning strike and wait for further actions. All the fuel station managers were directed to shut down their respective stations. They were also warned that anyone caught selling products would be fined N500,000; that is why none of us is dispensing products.

?People can go and buy from black marketers for now until we are directed to call off the action.

When contacted, the Benue State Chairman of NUPENG, Terfa Iorhule, who feigned ignorance of the development, said he was away in Lagos adding, ?I only heard of the strike but I have not confirmed it yet. (Vanguard)

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