Marketers react after NNPCL slashes petrol price to N899 per litre

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has praised Dangote Refinery’s management for bringing the price of its gasoline down to N899.50K per litre.

PETROAN spokesperson Joseph Obele said in a statement on Thursday that the action is a huge relief for drivers and Nigerians in general.

“This price reduction, a decrease of N71 per litre from the initial price of N970, is a significant relief for motorists and Nigerians at large, especially during the holiday season,” PETROAN stated.

According to PETROAN president, Billy Gillis-Harry, Dangote Refinery’s price cut would lessen Nigerians’ suffering and lower living expenses over the holiday season.

“The price reduction will alleviate the suffering of Nigerians and reduce the cost of living and transportation during this festive period,” he said.

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Anthony Chiejina, a company representative, stated that the price cut is intended to reduce transportation expenses during the holiday season. Additionally, the refinery stated that customers could purchase an extra litre of fuel on credit for every litre of fuel purchased with cash.

In November, the privately held refinery reduced the price of its gasoline to N970 per litre. “To alleviate transport costs during this holiday season, Dangote Refinery is offering a holiday discount on PMS. From today, our petrol will be available at N899.50 per litre at our truck loading gantry or SPM.

“Furthermore, for every litre purchased on a cash basis, consumers will have the opportunity to buy another litre on credit, backed by a bank guarantee from Access Bank, First Bank, or Zenith Bank,” said Chiejina.

News Direct earlier reported that oil marketers have continued to rely on imports to deliver gasoline across the country, even though two significant refineries in Nigeria started producing the fuel within the last three months.

According to data gathered last week, marketers imported 2.3 billion litres of gasoline between September 11 and December 5, 2024. This ongoing importation runs counter to previous declarations made by certain marketers who stated their intention to cease importing and instead concentrate on locally produced goods.

Marketers react after NNPCL slashes petrol price to N899 per litre

Court stops customs from seizing imported rice in open market

A court of appeal in Kaduna has stopped the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) from impounding foreign rice in the open market or on the highways.

Operatives of NCS are in the habit of staying on the road arresting people suspected to have smuggled imported rice. They also storm rice shops and markets to impound foreign rice.

In a judgment delivered on December 6, a three-member panel of justices led by Ntong Ntong held that existing laws restrict the enforcement by the customs to land borders only.

The judgment was delivered in an appeal filed by the NCS against a decision of the federal high court that acquitted one Suleiman Mohammed, a businessman, of charges related to the importation of rice.

Customs had arrested Mohammed after seizing a truck carrying 613 bags of foreign rice and 80 bags of millet belonging to the businessman on June 14, 2019, along the Kaduna-Zaria expressway.

Mohammed was charged and arraigned on a two-count charge.

However, in a judgment delivered on November 10, 2021, Z. B. Abubakar, trial judge, acquitted the defendants of the charges.

Abubakar held that the plaintiffs (customs) failed to give enough evidence to prove that the defendant imported the goods.

Afe Babalola: Court grants Dele Farotimi bail, barred from media interviews 

Embattled human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has been granted bail in the sum of ₦30 million.

A magistrate court in Ekiti State granted him bail on Friday about two weeks after he was remanded in prison custody.

He was remanded on December 7, 2024, after he was arraigned in court on 16 counts of criminal defamation, following the publication of his book, ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’.

Farotimi arrived at the Magistrate Court with heavy security comprising policemen and other law enforcement agents.

Apart from the N30 million, the Magistrate, Abayomi Adeosun, ordered him to provide three sureties with a landed property within the court’s jurisdiction; submit his international passport to the court as well as refrain from granting media interviews.

The case was adjourned to February 13, 2025.