The long queues at petrol stations due to the scarcity of petrol is getting worse by the day in Kaduna State as a litre of the product now sells at N400 and above.

A Channels TV report said when its crew went round town only few stations were selling the product to residents while many others were under lock and key.

The petrol scarcity has resulted to long queues and heavy traffic along major roads in the state capital and has paralysed socio-economic activities as many private and public vehicle owners have parked their cars because of non-availability of petrol.

As part of efforts to cushion the effect of scarcity, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) Kaduna Zone has deployed a special task force team to monitor the sale of petrol at filling stations across the state.

The aim is to ensure that petroleum marketers do not hoard the product and thereafter sell to motorists at exorbitant prices only at night.

DPR Kaduna Zonal Operations Controller, Sayyadi Sulaiman, who led some officials of the agency to monitor the situation within the state capital, told Channels Television that the monitoring team have been deployed across the state to ensure that the few products that arrive the state are not diverted by some unscrupulous marketers who in turn sell them to residents at exorbitant prices.

He said the team will monitor the sale of fuel in filling stations across the state adding that they have been mandated to take over any filling station selling above the official pump price.

While there was strict compliance to the N86.50k per litre of petrol by some of the filling stations selling the product within the metropolis, those outside the city were selling above the official pump price.

So far, five filling stations have been sealed up by DPR for selling above the official pump price of N86.50k per litre.

Some residents say the continuous presence of DPR officials at the petrol stations will go a long way in bringing about some sanity and will also force the station owners to sell at government approved pump price.

Residents, who spoke to Channels Television, said they want the agency to intensify its surveillance at petrol stations especially now that there seems to be no end in sight to the scarcity.

With the assurances that the long queues will soon disappear, DPR also warns filling stations who sell fuel at night to desist from such act or will be sanctioned. (Channels TV)

•Photo shows fuel queue.