Heavy traffic congestion paralyzed several areas of Lagos on Monday as lengthy queues snaked outside petrol stations, signaling a potential resurgence of fuel scarcity.
Along the bustling Ikorodu Road and Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, motorists grappled with prolonged delays caused by queues at filling stations. Notably, the Total Filling station at the Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way witnessed extensive queues, exacerbating traffic woes in the Ikeja axis.
Adding to the frustration, numerous filling stations along the Ikeja axis, including those along Obafemi Awolowo Road, remained shuttered, compounding the challenges faced by motorists.
In a worrying trend, some motorists resorted to hiking fares for commuters as they struggled to secure fuel after enduring hours-long waits at petrol stations.
Further exacerbating the situation, all the filling stations along Ogunnusi Road inbound Berger refrained from dispensing petrol to customers, aggravating the fuel supply crunch.
The underlying cause of the sudden resurgence of fuel queues in Lagos remains unclear, prompting speculation and concern among residents.
Of particular concern were queues observed at stations known for offering petrol at relatively lower prices, suggesting a potential disparity in fuel availability across different stations.
Even prominent fuel retailers, such as those owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, grappled with fuel shortages, adding to the widespread inconvenience experienced by motorists and commuters alike.
Hammed Fashola, the National Vice Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, acknowledged the queues but attributed them to panic-buying rather than a genuine fuel scarcity.
He urged the public to remain calm while efforts were made to ascertain the root cause of the situation.
