ABEOKUTA, Ogun State – In a decisive move to curb consumer exploitation and enforce industry standards, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has sealed two filling stations in Ogun State for under-dispensing fuel and perpetrating other illicit practices.
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The enforcement action, carried out on Monday at Mangarborn Energy and a Mobil-branded station in the Akute/Ajuwon corridor of Ifo Local Government Area, comes as part of the Federal Government’s broader mandate to uphold the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
Cracking Down on Consumer Fraud
Leading the operation, Mr. Olufemi Adebowale—Head of Distribution Systems, Storage, and Retailing Infrastructure at the NMDPRA’s Abeokuta Field Office—stated that the closures were not arbitrary but were the culmination of persistent regulatory breaches by the implicated operators.
“The NMDPRA is executing a lawful enforcement on this facility. Our records consistently indicate that this company has flouted compliance protocols,” Adebowale told journalists at the scene. “It is imperative that we make it unequivocally clear that under-dispensing products and deliberately tampering with official seals will not be tolerated. That is precisely why we are here to invoke the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act.”
He elaborated that under-dispensing is a direct assault on the public, as consumers pay for volumes they do not receive. Furthermore, he noted that the station’s decision to forcibly remove government seals and resume sales without authorization constitutes a flagrant violation of regulatory protocols.
A Pattern of Repeated Violations
According to Adebowale, the authority has been tracking the stations’ activities since 2025. Despite multiple interventions, the operators have allegedly remained defiant—ignoring official summons and continuing their operations clandestinely.
“Our records show this has been an ongoing issue since last year. The station has consistently refused to honour our invitations and has been sealed no fewer than six times within this period. Yet, each time, they remove our seals and reopen unlawfully,” he disclosed.
Severe Sanctions and Potential Licence Suspension
Adebowale confirmed that enforcement notices have been served and that the facilities will remain shuttered until all regulatory conditions—including the payment of stipulated penalties—are satisfied. Additionally, he hinted at more severe administrative measures, including the potential suspension of the stations’ operating licences, pending final approval from the NMDPRA’s management.
“These operators have no right to function until we grant explicit authorization. This is a clear deviation from the compliance framework of the PIA. When such infractions occur, enforcement is not optional—it is mandatory,” he stated.
He issued a stern warning to other industry players, stressing that the regulator is intensifying surveillance across the downstream sector. “As long as operators adhere to the rules, they have no cause for concern. However, for those who choose to under-dispense or violate our seals, the full weight of enforcement, penalties, and sanctions will be applied without hesitation,” he added.
Adebowale also cautioned that any future attempts to tamper with official seals or operate illegally would result in criminal prosecution, underscoring the regulator’s zero-tolerance stance on sharp practices in the petroleum sector.
