•Criticies FG “for allowing Nigerians to suffer untold hardships caused by artificial fluctuations of fuel prices”

Prominent pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has attributed “the apparent and absolute monopoly of the Dangote refinery In the country for the constantly fluctuating exorbitant and absolutely unaffordable pump price of petrol which is now pegged at N1,400.”

HURIWA in a statement issued on Monday, March 23, 2026, wondered “why officials of NNPCL that robbed the country of billions of dollars in fake maintenance and turnaround of the five dysfunctional publicly owned Refineries in the last 10 years under All Progressives Congress government are not jailed and the stolen money recovered.”

HURIWA in the statement signed by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said it is “miffed that the indigenously owned modern crude oil refinery which millions of Nigerians have always supported and prayed for, has turned out to become the most traumatising agent of poverty and that the diminishing ability of millions of Nigerians to enjoy their constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights including freedom of movement, right to life and the right to the dignity of the human person created by the acute incapacity of millions of Nigerian households to afford the high costs of petrol to power the electricity energy needs of these households that are cut off from the poorly performing national grid, should be blamed on the monopolistic stranglehold of Nigeria by Dangote Refinery created by government’s tolerated heists of public funds by officials of NNPCL.”

The rights group said “It is baffling that even in the earliest days of the USA/Israel versus IRAN war, Nigerians were already been subjected to high costs of fuel even when it is notorious that the only bulk supplier of fuel all across Nigeria that maintains an irresistible monopoly the Dangote Refinery received their supplies of crude oil from Nigeria and the company reportedly paid in Naira denomination. So how was Dangote Refinery charging Nigerians for their fuel supplies as if the company depends on crude oil from Iran for their refining business in Nigeria?”

HURIWA wondered “soon as the meaningless war in the Gulf region (Iran) started, the Dangote Refinery already positioned itself to maximise profits at the grave costs of poor Nigerians most of whom must move from place to place for their essentials and for their survival.”

According to the statement, “HURIWA is miffed that it is becoming increasingly difficult for millions of Nigerians to survive and conduct their economic, social and religious activities seamlessly given the unaffordable costs of fuel created by the Dangote Refinery monopoly in Nigeria. NIGERIANS IN THEIR MILLIONS ARE CHOKING TO UNTIMELY DEATHS BECAUSE OF HIGH COSTS OF FUEL, DIESEL AND KEROSENE.”

HURIWA criticised the government “for allowing Dangote Refinery to maintain a monopoly to such a bad extent that Nigeria and Vietnam have highest fuel price hikes worldwide amid Iran, US-Israel war.”

“HURIWA blames Dangote Refinery and government of Nigeria entirely for subjecting our citizens to these untold hardships just as the Rights group said because the proprietor of the sole functional refinery is the poster boy of the Tinubu’s administration, the company has been allowed to play poker with the sensibilities of Nigerian fuel consumers,” the statement further said.