How soldiers take over capital oil and scare people away

Officials of the Nigerian Army on Monday took
over the Ojodu Berger outlet of Capital Oil, buying
petroleum products in drums, after scaring away
thousands of consumers.

The armed personnel came in the guise of
maintaining peace and order, but they soon
abandoned their primary responsibility for fuel
racket. They shoved, maltreated and sent away
those who were on queue to be attended to,
thereby gaining access to have their drums
loaded with fuel.

As of press time, the unregistered white Isuzu
truck they use for the ‘deal’ had visited the filling
station for the fourth time.

The fourth truck was being loaded as of 8:50pm.
The vehicle, on each visit, left with at least 14
drums and dozens of gallons filled with fuel.

The helpless consumers, some of who slept at the
filling station, suspected the soldiers were feeding
the growing Lagos black market with the product.

The military officials who were fully dressed had
taken over the only two pumps that dispensed the
Premium Motor Spirit.

Those who protested the act were beaten and
given scars on their bodies.
Meanwhile, consumers, who had spent the entire
Monday at the filling station without getting the
product to buy, had described the announcement
by Ifeanyi Uba as a publicity stunt.

By 9pm on Monday, not more than a hundred
cars left the station with fuel.
Besides the military, officials of the Nigeria Police
Force and black market dealers took over the
show while thousands of motorists who had
crowded the place since 5am were abandoned.
Dailypost report.