The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, South-West Zone, has issued a stern warning that it will suspend operations across the region if the Lagos State government does not release 30 petroleum tankers currently in its custody.
The Chairman of IPMAN Western Zone, Joseph Akanni, made this declaration on Monday during a press briefing in Ibadan, Oyo State.
He reaffirmed the association’s solidarity with the Petroleum Tanker Drivers and other industry stakeholders, stating, “Injury to one is an injury to all.”
According to Akanni, the impounded tankers, each carrying 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit departed Dangote Refinery at approximately 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 22, 2025.
However, they were intercepted by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority under the Ministry of Transportation and taken to LASTMA’s yard in Oshodi.
Expressing dismay over the development, he criticized the Lagos State Ministry of Transport’s actions, calling them unlawful and hazardous.
“What the Ministry of Transport has done is against the law. It is dangerous. It is dangerous to keep tankers with petrol in a place because petrol is flammable. And the information reaching us is that they have started siphoning petrol from the tankers, which implies that we won’t have the same quantity as when it was towed,” he said.
Akanni warned that if the situation remains unresolved, IPMAN members would be left with no choice but to halt fuel distribution across the South-West in protest.
“And that we are ready if nothing is done, we are ready to shut down our stations; our petrol stations across Southwest, in solidarity with the tanker drivers,” he emphasized.
The IPMAN chairman also stressed that the petroleum products inside the impounded tankers belong to IPMAN members, underscoring the association’s backing of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers in the matter.
He further cited fire safety regulations, asserting that tankers carrying petrol should not be detained without first offloading their cargo.
“Even if a truck with petrol is arrested, the tanker is supposed to go and offload the petrol first, before anything,” he noted.
With the tankers still holding approximately 45,000 litres of petrol each, Akanni described the situation as a ticking time bomb.
He held the Lagos State government accountable for any potential disaster, cautioning, “We are giving stern warning that if there is any fire incident, Lagos State government is going to be responsible for the loss of products and the deaths.”
