Despite the fuel scarcity situation in the country, the Nigerian government destroyed over 400 illegal refineries in the last three months, a Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, official has revealed.

NSCDC Commandant, Desmond Agu, said that the illegal refineries operated by oil thieves were destroyed between January and March.

Some Nigerians, including the Ijaw Youths Council, have asked the federal government to legalise and regulate the modular refineries to ensure production of petrol and other by-products and as a means of job creation.

“Licensing modular refineries will reduce the pressure on the naira as the foreign exchange spent on importing the products will be conserved,” the chairman of the Ijaw Council, Udengs Eradiri, said in March.

The federal government has not indicated any willingness to legalise or regulate the modular refineries.

Nigeria has been hit with a scarcity of petrol in the past months that has helped in worsening the already troubled economy. The scarcity has forced many Nigerians, who need petrol for their cars and to power their electric generators, to buy the product at the black market sometimes at 500 per cent increase in price.

http://www.metronaija.com/2016/04/fuel-scarcity-nigerian-govt-destroys.html

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

Now I know why fuel scarcity hit the small and big this time around. Great decision.

In the past, they vandalise pipeline, scoop fuel at Arepo and Iju. They move in best of cars and take other people's wife. Useless criminals, deal with them well Mr. President.

I think they should legalize the operations of these illegal refineries. NNPC will supply them with crude which the operators pay for. They refine, sell and govt taxes them. More money to govt to fund development, more jobs created for Niger delta youths, no fuel scarcity and of course less tension in the niger delta.

This is just common sense and a no-brainer!