The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association, (IPMAN), Southwest Zone has threatened to shutdown its operations across the region if the 30 tankers arrested by the Lagos State government were not released.
The Chairman, IPMAN Western Zone, Chief Joseph Akanni stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan on Monday.
Akanni, while expressing the association’s support for the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) and other stakeholders in the industry over the issue said “injury to one is injury to all”.
According to him, the 30 tankers bearing 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) were towed out of Dangote Refinery about 3:00 am on Saturday, 22nd Feb., 2025.
He said the vehicles and the drivers were arrested by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASMA) under the Ministry of Transportation in Lagos and were put at LASMA yard in Oshodi.
“So, IPMAN in solidarity with the PTD, National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and NUPENG is showing solidarity with the other stakeholders to take action against Lagos State governments, especially the Ministry of Transport.
“What the Ministry of Transport has done is against the law. It is dangerous.
“It is dangerous to keep tankers with petrol in a place because petrol is flammable.
“And the information reaching us is that they have started siphoning petrol from the tankers, which implies that we won’t have the same quantity as when it was towed.
“And that we are ready, if nothing is done, we are ready to shutdown our stations; our petrol stations across Southwest, in solidarity with the tanker drivers,” Akanni said.
The IPMAN southwest chairman noted that the product in the tankers impounded belong to members of IPMAN adding that the association is in support of the actions of NUPENG over the incident.
He noted that under fire safety regulations, even if a truck with petrol is arrested, the tanker is supposed to go and offload the petrol first, before anything.
“So, now they took the tankers with about 45,000 litres of petrol, numbering about 30, which is very dangerous.
“We are giving stern warning that if there is any fire incident, Lagos State government is going to be responsible for the loss of products and the deaths.
