One dies, others injured as adulterated petrol sells for N900/litre in Lagos

CITIZENS COMPASS – One person was feared dead while some others were injured yesterday, in Lagos as Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol was sold at N900 per litre.

This occurred when some petroleum black marketers and a group identified as ‘Show Boys’ clashed at Mile 2, along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.

Eyewitnesses’accounts gave different versions about the cause of the clash as a version attributed it to the sales of adulterated petrol while another version attributed it to the skyrocketed price of the product.

One of the versions said a customer who purchased diesel from a roadside hawker returned the product, claiming he was given oil instead of diesel. 

This was said to have resulted into argument which escalated to a fight, during which dangerous objects were used.

One of them, who gave his name as Sheu, said: “They (hawkers) sold petrol for N3,500 and N4,500 for five litres to people who are hustlers too. They were told on Monday to bring down the price, since they were not paying for the space but they did not listen. It was the argument over the price that caused the fight.”

Another eyewitness, who gave his name simply as Shamsudeen, said: “The fight was between people selling diesel by the road side and Show Boys. Some of the hawkers had their product destroyed in the process. It was a bloody fight, but I can’t say how many of them died.”

Three commercial bus drivers told our correspondent that one person was killed.

He said: “We could not operate at Mile 2 for close to an hour because the warring factions were at the opposite sides of the road hauling stones and broken bottles at themselves. We did not want to be caught in the crossfire.”

While a source claimed that two to three fatalities were recorded, others claimed more than three lives were lost. 

The brawl was eventually brought under control by a team of policemen from Area ‘H’ Command Festac.

Attempts to arrest two members of one of the factions were reportedly met with resistance, as they claimed they were not involved in the fight.

Commuters had a tough time for hours as motorists abandoned the axis.