Tankers destroyed in Maiduguri bomb blast ‘diverted petrol’

The three petrol tankers destroyed by Boko Haram suicide bombers in Maiduguri on Friday were carrying petrol meant for Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mega stations.

The Borno command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) said the petrol was diverted and kept in a private home.

Abdullahi Ibrahim, commandant of the corps, told NAN in Maiduguri that the agency’s surveillance anti-vandal team made the discovery.

He said that the incident would not have happened if the petrol had been taken to its destination by the petroleum marketers.

“It was unfortunate that some individuals were hell bent on diverting petroleum products to create artificial scarcity in the town,” he said.

“Those tankers destroyed by three female suicide bombers were meant to be in filling stations to meet local demands of motorists.

“We have been warning them against diversion but they won’t listen. Just last week we arrested about four persons and sealed their filling stations for selling petrol above the pump price.

“We learnt that there is a deliberate plan to create artificial scarcity in the town by hiding the product to make it scarce.

“This development is not only anti-people but also a threat to the lives and security of the good people of the state. We therefore warn marketers and petroleum marketers to desist from hiding and diverting petrol in their homes or face the wrath of the law,” Ibrahim said.

All the three suicide bombers died in the attack.