IPMAN threatens shutdown in Southwest over arrest of 30 tankers, drivers 

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN), Southwest zone, Monday, threatened to shut down its operations across the Southwest over the arrest of 30 tankers by the Lagos state government. 

Speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, the chairman, IPMAN western zone, Chief Joseph Akanni, demanded immediate release of the arrested 30 tankers. 

The IPMAN chairman in expressing the association’s support for the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) and other stakeholders in the industry over the issue noted that “injury to one is injury to all.”

Chief Akanni pointed out that the 30 tankers bearing 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) were towed out of Dangote Refinery about 3:00 am on Saturday, 22nd Feb., 2025 and that the tankers and the drivers were arrested by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASMA) under the Ministry of Transportation in Lagos and were put at LASMA yard in Oshodi.

“So, IPMAN in solidarity with the PTD, National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and NUPENG is showing solidarity with the other stakeholders to take action against Lagos state governments, especially the Ministry of Transport. What the Ministry of Transport has done is against the law. It is dangerous”, he said. 

Chief Akanni added, “It is dangerous to keep tankers with petrol in a place because petrol is flammable. And the information reaching us is that they have started siphoning petrol from the tankers, which implies that we won’t have the same quantity as when it was towed.

“We are ready to shutdown our stations; our petrol stations across Southwest, in solidarity with the tanker drivers”.

Speaking further, the IPMAN Southwest chairman stated that the product in the tankers impounded belong to members of IPMAN and that the association is in support of the actions of NUPENG over the incident.

“So, now they took the tankers with about 45,000 litres of petrol, numbering about 30, which is very dangerous. We are giving stern warning that if there is any fire incident, Lagos state government is going to be responsible for the loss of products and the deaths.”