Black market dealers of petroleum products are smiling to the bank in Akure, the Ondo State capital, as a litre of fuel sells for N300.

Our reporter, who was at the market where it’s been sold yesterday, observed that the few stations opened for business sold a litre for N140. There were long queues at the stations with buyers almost engaging in a fight to buy fuel.

One of the affected customer, Olawale Badmus, said: “You can’t believe that I have been finding it difficult to get fuel for so many hours, until a guy approached me with 10 litres of fuel and asked if I would buy. I didn’t have a choice and I bought it at N3000.”

A taxi driver, Olarinde Bolu, said: “I have been at this particular station since 5am just to get fuel that will enable me work for some hours but it is so painful that I am still struggling to get fuel as at 8am.

“I have just been informed about a guy selling and I think I will go to him and get fuel but the passengers will pay for it.”

A lawyer, Morakinyo Ogele, asked Buhari to look for means of breaking the fuel cartel, blaming marketers for the scarcity.

Similar incident also occured in Osogbo the Osun State capital as pump price was sold above the normal N87 per litre.

CEOAfrica sighted long queue in different filling stations. This however led to increase in transport fare as many people were seen stranded on the street.

In the same vein, commuters have lamented the untold hardship and hike in fare, attributing it to scarcity of fuel.

Fare has been confirmed to have increased between 30 to 50 per cent in some areas in Ibadan by our reporters.