The Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Abeokuta Field Office, has sealed two fuel stations engaging in under-dispensing of petroleum products and non-compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021. Leading the enforcement team around Ajute/ Ajuwon axis of the state, the Head of Distribution Systems Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Olufemi Adebowale, said the move became imperative in view of repeated breaches of regulatory requirements by the affected stations and the need to protect the rights of consumers from sharp practices.
According to him, the development is part of its ongoing efforts to enforce compliance with industry regulations, protect consumers from sharp practices, and ensure that petroleum marketers dispense the correct quantity of products across the state. He explained that records available to the authority showed that the fuel stations have consistently violated regulatory compliance by under-dispensing petroleum products, illegally breaking official seals placed on the facility, and resuming operations without authorisation.
According to him, such actions amount to a violation of the Petroleum Industry Act 2023 and undermine efforts to protect consumers from exploitation. “The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority is carrying out a lawful enforcement on this facility.
Our records have consistently shown that this company has been violating regulatory compliance.” “It is high time we made it clear that they cannot continue to under-dispense products, deliberately remove our seals, and believe that nothing will happen, that is why we are here to enforce the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act 2023 he said.
“When it comes to under-dispensing, they are cheating members of the public by not selling the correct quantity of fuel. Also, once a station is sealed, it has no authorisation to operate. But this station deliberately removed our seal and continued operations, which is against the law.” Adebowale disclosed that the authority has been monitoring the station’s activities since 2025, describing the violations as persistent despite several enforcement actions.
He revealed that the affected station had been sealed no fewer than six times within the period, but continued to remove the authority’s seals and ignore invitations extended by the regulator. “From our records, this has been happening since last year. The station has also refused to honour our invitations.
It has been sealed not less than six times, yet it keeps removing our seals and resuming operations.” READ ALSO: Illegal Mining: Imo Community Protests Environmental Degradation, Insecurity