The Akwa Ibom Government has warned independent marketers against the sudden increase in the pump price of petrol from N87 per litre to between N100 and N120 per litre in some parts of the state.

Mr Essien Esema, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Petroleum Monitoring to Gov. Godswill Akpabio, gave the warning on Monday in Uyo while interacting with newsmen.

He advised marketers of petroleum products to desist from arbitrary increase in the price of the petrol or face the wrath of the law.

He said that in spite of the new pump price of N87 per litre for petrol approved by the federal government, some independent marketers were still selling above the new price.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Federal Government announced reduction in the price of petrol from N97 per litre to N87 per litre on Jan. 18, 2015.

Esema described the current increase in the price of petrol in some parts of Akwa Ibom as “illegal.”

He warned that the monitoring committee constituted by the government would prosecute any offender selling the product above N87 per litre.

The SSA said that the committee was also monitoring petroleum products coming into the state to ensure that those adulterated were not sold.

He called on the public to report any petrol station selling petrol above the approved price.

Meanwhile, some of the marketers in the state had attributed the increase in the price of petrol to non-availability of the product at the depot. (NAN)