The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Kano has warned the Federal Government of an impending fuel crisis in the country.

According to The PUNCH, IPMAN pointed fingers towards the decision by some private depot owners to unilaterally raise the prices of the product.

In a statement issued on Friday, the IPMAN chairman Kano chapter, Alhaji Bashir Danmallam, said some of the private depot owners had increased the price of the commodity from N148 per litre to between N153 and N155 per litre since Friday last week.

Danmallam advised the government not to blame its members if they increase the price of the commodity as they would not operate at loss.

“Some private depot owners are trying to sabotage the Federal Government by unilaterally increasing their prices even though the government has not raised the fuel pump price.

“We are equally calling on the Management of the NNPC to investigate the issue as some of the private depot owners have since Friday last week increased the price from N148 per litre to between N153 and N155 per litre. We know it’s only the Federal Government that imports fuel into the country.

“As I am talking to you private depot owners in Warri, Calabar Lagos and Oghara in Delta State have increased their prices. We hope the management of the NNPC will investigate and intervene,” Danmalam said.

Danmallam also accused the private depot owners of closing depots to cause a fuel crisis in the country as the festive period approaches to maximize profit.

The association warned that it won’t sit idle to watch such unpatriotic private depot owners engage in unnecessary price increase while it takes the blame.