Long queues suddenly, sprung up in some fuel stations in Lagos State on Monday, with motorists in panic buying across the state.
The development followed announcement by the newly inaugurated President Bola Tinubu, in his inaugural address, to remove the controversial oil subsidy.
Meanwhile, a few areas of the metropolis monitored, showed cars queuing up, while other buyers were seen with different sizes of kegs and jerrycans to buy the product.
Some of the fuel stations seized the opportunity to jerk up the price from N184 per litre to as high as N250 per litre.
Other fuel stations which earlier were seen opening for business, later shut their gates, apparently, hoarding the product.
Visits to areas such as Ikeja, Agege, Ojodu, Egbeda, Airport Road, Iyana-Ipaja, Obalende, among others, showed long queues, resulting in traffic jams.
Along the Egbeda/Idimu Road, the few places where the product is being sold had vehicles scampering for it, while commuters were seen stranded at various bus stops waiting to board commercial bus.
Few of the buses that were on the road for business hiked the fares between 50 and 100 per cent over fear of impending scarcity.
A trip from Egbeda to Ikotun which formerly was N200 was jerked up to N300. Also a trip from Egbeda to Ikeja, formerly between N250 and N300 cost N400. Some commuters refused to board it because of the exhorbitant prices.
It was not a different story at the Iyana-Ipaja end of the local council as some passengers were seen jostling to board the few buses plying the various routes.
One of the motorists, wearing a long face, who spoke with this reporter at one of the fuel stations selling petrol, lamented;
“Why would Tinubu start on this note to punish the already depressed, impoverished Nigerians inflicted by the out-gone administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“This is absolutely unfair to Nigerians. When I heard that Tinubu has directed removal of oil subsidy, I had to rush down here to fill my tank and some jerry cans for my power generating set.”
Also Mr.John Akinloye, a motorist along Agege area, said, “I was not surprised to see queues at the fuel stations after the announcement. I just pray this sad and unfortunate development will not last so as not to put suffering masses in another round of economic and mental torture.
“I have been at the fuel station for over an hour, I’m yet to get to the fuel pump point. Even the fuel attendants are not willing to sell more than N3,000 per each buyer. If you want to buy N4,000 they are refusing.”
