Fuel scarcity: Unknown soldiers beat up station manager

Anwalu

The Station Manager of Forte Oil former African Petrol (AP) in Damaturu, Yobe State capital was on Saturday night beaten up by unidentified soldiers for refusing to sell fuel to them in jerry cans.
The Manager, Auwulu Hassan who is now on admission with injuries at Gen. Sani Abatcha Specialist Hospital in Damaturu told journalists who visited him at the hospital that he was beaten in front of the Divisional Police Officer of ‘A’ Division where he ran to when the soldiers descended on him in front of his filling station.

“I was about leaving the station when some soldiers approached me that they are coming from Brutai and going to Maiduguri so I should get them fuel. I told them we have close but I can get them 30ltrs that will take them to Maiduguri, but they said no, they want the fuel in jerry cans. Then I told them I can’t give them in jerry cans and urged them to accept the 30 liters that would help them to get to Maiduguri.

“While we were arguing over this, one of them called one among them to go and bring the jerry cans. Within that time, I found a way of escaping from their sight because I noticed they were not ready to listen to me.

“I went and did my evening prayers, came back and sat opposite the filling station then I saw five soldiers coming towards me. Before I could say anything, they started beating me up and everybody there were surprised. One of the people wanted to call with his phone and they collected the phone and started beating him.

“It was at that point that I ran to ‘A’ Division Police Station. They followed me to the Police Station and in front of the DPO they were still beating me,” Auwulu narrated.

The Independent Marketers in the state through their Chairman Alhaji Audu Girgiri have vowed not to open their fuel stations or receive any supply if the soldiers are not apprehended.

Alhaji Girigiri who spoke with reporters at the Amenity ward of General Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital where he went to sympathize with his member, described the action of the soldiers as “primitive and uncivilized”.

“We cannot condone this kind of treatment on our members. If the military authority does not take action to punish those soldiers within the next 48 hours, all fuel stations in Damaturu and the entire Yobe will be close,” Alhaji Girigiri warned.

The Chairman also expressed reservation over the performance of the petroleum taskforce in the state describing it as a failure.

“I think the Petrol TaskForce in the state is a failure because it has created more problems to the common people than solution. It is this task force that is causing scarcity and hardship for people in Damaturu presently unlike before when fuel us to be available,” he explained.

The spokesman of 3 Div (Tactical Headquaters) Damaturu Col. Ogunsanya in a text message said that he was not aware of the matter.
The beaten station manager later Sunday evening said some high ranking military officers have visited him at the hospital to apologize on behalf of the soldiers and promised to fish them out for appropriate punishment.