A lawyer and rights activist, Chief Malcom Omirhobo, on Thursday asked the Federal High Court, Lagos to declare as unlawful the Federal Government’s ban on the sale of petrol in jerry cans.
The applicant is suing for himself and on behalf of the people of Nigeria.
Joined as respondents in the suit are the Attorney-General (AG) of the Federation, Minister of State for Petroleum, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
In suit number FHC/L/CS/1024/2016 Omirhobo is seeking a declaration that the directive of the second and third respondents to filling station owners, not to sell petroleum products to Nigerians in jerry cans is discriminatory.
In an affidavit deposed to by the applicant, he averred that in January, he approached several filling stations with a jerry can to purchase fuel for his generator set, but was denied sale.
Omirhobo said upon enquiry, he was informed by all the filling station operators that there was a directive from the respondents not to sell fuel to Nigerians in jerry cans, gallons or keg.
He claimed that this refusal led him as well as many Nigerians, to resort to buying fuel from the black market at exorbitant prices.
Omirhobo averred that as long as power supply had yet to improve in the country, Nigerians will continue to rely on generator sets, and also, purchase fuel in kegs to power them.
He is seeking a declaration that the government’s directive to filing station operators nationwide not to sell petrol to Nigerians in gallons, except those with vehicles, was inhumane and unlawful.
Furthermore he wants an order directing the respondents to order the sale of petrol to every Nigerian in jerry cans for personal consumption and to facilitate their source of livelihood.
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