The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN), Southwest zone, has threatened to shut down its operations across the region if the 30 tankers arrested by the Lagos State government are not released.
Chairman, IPMAN Western Zone Chief Joseph Akanni, who stated this in an interview with newsmen in Ibadan, expressed the association’s support for the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) and other stakeholders in the industry over the issue.
According to him, “Injury to one is injury to all”.
He said the 30 tankers, carrying 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), were towed out of Dangote Refinery at about 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, 22nd Feb. 2025.
He said the vehicles and their drivers were arrested by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), under the Ministry of Transportation in Lagos, and taken to the LASTMA 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 gasoline 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 IPMAN Southwest chairman noted that the product in the impounded tankers belongs to IPMAN members and added that the association supports NUPENG’s actions regarding the incident.
He explained 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 will be responsible for the loss of products and the deaths”.
