Petrol sale ban: Lawyer sues FG, IG, NNPC

By Jerry Uwah
Lagos

A lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Malcom Omirhobo, yesterday dragged the federal government, Inspector-General of Police and Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) before a Federal High Court, Lagos, over the ban on the sale of petrol in kegs.
The lawyer listed himself and the people of Nigeria as applicants in the suit.
Those joined as respondents in the suit are the Attorney-General of the Federation, Minister of State for Petroleum, NNPC and the Inspector-General of Police.
The new suit, numbered FHC/L/CS/1024/2016, was brought pursuant to order 2 rule 1 of the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules 2009.

Omirhobo is seeking a declaration that the directive of the second and third respondents to filling station owners, not to sell petroleum products to Nigerians in jerry cans, was discriminatory.
In an affidavit deposed to by the applicant, he averred that in January, he had approached several filling stations within his reach, with a jerry can to purchase fuel for his generator set, but was denied sale.
He said that upon enquiry, he was informed by all the filling station operators, that there was a directive from the respondents, not to sell fuel to Nigerians in jerry cans, gallons or kegs.
He averred that this refusal led him as well as many Nigerians, to resort to buying fuel from the black market at exorbitant prices.

Omirhobo said the black market operators besiege filling stations with drums and gallons to purchase large quantities of fuel, which they hoard and subsequently sell to the public at astronomical prices.
He said the petrol attendants prefer to sell fuel to black marketers, in order to maximise profits.
He, therefore, sought a declaration that the directive of the respondents to filing station operators nationwide not to sell petrol to Nigerians in gallons, except those with vehicle, was inhumane and unlawful.
He also seeks a declaration that the police had failed in its duty to put the black market under check and control and in ensuring that persons were not allowed to hoard fuel for the purpose of re-sale.
No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.