The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association, South-West Zone, has vowed that it will shut down operations across the region if the 30 tankers arrested by the Lagos State government are not released.
The Chairman, IPMAN Western Zone, Joseph Akanni, made this known on Monday, during an interview with newsmen in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Akanni declared the association’s support for the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, as well as other stakeholders in the industry over the issue, saying “Injury to one is an injury to all.”
He disclosed that the 30 tankers bearing 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit were towed out of Dangote Refinery at about 3:00am on Saturday, February 22, 2025.
“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 the LASMA yard in Oshodi.
“So, IPMAN is 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 shut down our stations; our petrol stations across Southwest, in solidarity with the tanker drivers,” Akanni said.
The South-West IPMAN chairman revealed that the product in the impounded tankers belongs to members of IPMAN, saying the association is in support of the actions of NUPENG over the incident.
Akanni added 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,” Akanni said
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