*hands out massive sanctions
By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Kaduna Zonal office on Thursday suspended FARMSKAN Petroleum Nigeria Ltd, for three months, for offense bothering on under-dispensing of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly referred to as petrol.
DPR also forced to dispense, three filling stations including FARMSKAN, for hurding and selling fuel far above pump price.
The three affected filling stations located along Kaduna-Zaria highway, include Mamu Oil, Fasada Petroleum Company Nig. Ltd and FARMSKAN Petroleum Company, respectively.
Speaking to journalists during the monitoring exercise involving combined teams of DPR officers and security personnel, in Zaria, Kaduna, Thursday, the DPR Zonal Controller Northwest, Isah Tafida said, a total of 17,700 petroleum products were discovered hoarded in the three affected stations.
While 8,300 and 4,500 petrol products were discovered in Mamu Oil and Fasada filling stations respectively, about 7,400 litres of fuel was also uncovered at the FARMSKAN Petroleum filling station.
Tafida explained that until Thursday, FARMSKAN was under seal, with 11,000 litters of fuel in its underground tanks, for hoarding and selling above normal pump price, but was later siphoned and reduced to 9, 400 when checked.
The controller stated that they were monitoring the products based on directive from President Muhammadu Buhari, stressing that any filling station caught hoarding or selling above regulated price would be sanctioned severely.
Personalities in monitoring team including Executive Director Services, KRPC, Abdullahi Idris, Kaduna State Commander, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Manager, PRO KRPC, amongst others.