“Yesterday morning I bought fuel N450, then in the night I bought N500,” said Ada, a Nigerian lady, on Twitter on Friday.

Petrol is being sold at unregulated prices across major Nigerian cities and customers have no choice but to pay exorbitant fees on many occasions, FIJ has learnt.

A year ago, petrol sold for the regulated N147 price per litre at the pump. Today, there is no ceiling for petrol price, with some paying N800 per litre.

N1000, N800 PER LITRE AT THE BLACK MARKET

Some citizens have claimed to pay as high as N1000 per litre for petrol, but FIJ has confirmed that this is limited to those who patronise the black market.

“I was at Agbor last week. I bought fuel N800 for 1 litre in the black market. But here in Benin, it’s N600,” Wisdom Jomo tweeted on Friday.

The original tweet received more replies claiming that it was in fact N1000 per litre in Agbor, Delta State, and some parts of Benin City.

READ ALSO: At Lagos Fuel Station, Commuters Are Charged Extra N500, N1000 for Petrol

Nigerians often take black market as the last resort to get petrol during fuel scarcity. The black marketers sell petrol they bought from filling stations and hoarded.

FROM N195 TO N350 IN LAGOS, ABUJA

Long queues characterise Lagos roads today as Lagos residents continue to swarm filling stations.

At an Oando filling station in Egbeda, a reporter bought petrol at N195 per litre but was charged N500 before receiving service.

“The attendant first demanded N500 before asking how many litres we wanted to buy,” the reporter said.

Another Lagos resident said that he bought petrol at N300 per litre at Petrocham Filling Station around the Ejigbo area of Lagos.

Abuja residents who spoke with FIJ said that they bought petrol between N195 and N350. The variation in price is dependent on the area of Abuja, FIJ found.

In Lugbe, a source bought petrol at N350 per litre last week. “Yesterday, we were lucky to find a filling station that sold petrol to us for N195 around Orozo in Abuja,” the source said.

Security operatives, including Department of State Services (DSS) officials, went around Abuja to monitor service delivery at some filling stations last week. This was after Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s president, set up a 14-man committee to end fuel scarcity. 

Petrol has been selling at N350 per litre in some areas of Ogun state too.

FIJ confirmed from a source working at Animal Care Consults that petrol sold at N350 from Iperu to Shagamu.

N350 AVERAGE PETROL PUMP PRICE

More cities in Nigeria have accepted a uniform price of N350 per litre. This pump price isn’t regulated by the federal government though.

Price in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, and its environs is around N340, N350 and N360 per litre. Residents have told FIJ that Bovas and Total filling stations were, however, selling at regulated prices.

While some petrol outlets are selling a litre at N179, others in Ibadan and Osogbo are asking for N365 per litre at the pump.

“Some independent marketers like Bovas are selling a litre of petrol at N190,” an Ibadan resident told FIJ on Friday.

“SAO Filling Station sells for N270; Oando is around N200.”

Some filling stations also sold petrol to residents of Minna, Niger State capital, at N380 per litre this week.

READ ALSO: Filling Stations Hoarding Petrol, but NNPC Blames Nigerians for ‘Panic-Buying’

N400 AND MORE FOR A LITRE

Obinna Nwosu, Umuahia resident, bought petrol at N450 per litre in Umuahia, Abia State, on Thursday.

Birnin Kebbi residents are paying N360 or more for a litre of petrol, FIJ understands. Black market prices range from N500 to N700.

Customers are also relying on the black market in Kaduna. Residents pay N500 for a litre of petrol at the black market in Tudun Wada, Kaduna.

“Yesterday, I bought a litre of petrol for N420 here,” a resident of Ado Ekiti told FIJ on Friday. In Akure, petrol is sold at N450 per litre. An Akure resident agreed with the N450 price but said that Bovas in the same region sold for N190 per litre.

Residents of Ikot Abasi Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State told FIJ they bought petrol for N400 or N450 per litre. They also patronised the black market which started selling petrol at N500 per litre.

READ ALSO: ‘N2,000 is Too Much’ — How Lagos Filling Stations Are Rationing Petrol

Daniel Ugo, a graphics designer living in Port Harcourt, said that he bought petrol at Gloripet AdaGeorge for N475 per litre on Thursday.

While the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has promised that it will make petrol cheaper and more accessible to Nigerians in two weeks, many have to settle for costly petrol for now.