Petrol has started selling for N2,000 per litre in border communities in Ogun State and other areas.

Residents report that the ongoing petrol scarcity has worsened their plights as they battle the ban on selling petroleum products in border areas within a 20-kilometre radius.

In 2019, former President Muhammadu Buhari prohibited the supply of petroleum products to Nigerians living within 20 kilometres of Nigeria’s borders with neighbouring countries to forestall the diversion of subsidised petrol.

The Buhari administration later granted waivers to some filing stations to sell petrol in the border areas. Still, the number was said to be insignificant to ease the plight of the population.

According to reports, many residents rely solely on the black market to buy petrol in the border areas, which sell at exorbitant prices.

According to the residents, the situation is dire as a litre of petrol now sells for as high as N2,000 in the black market.

The development comes as petrol hit an all-time high of N950 per litre in Lagos and other parts of the country.

A survey conducted by Legit.ng shows that many petrol stations in the Lagos metropolis have adjusted their prices to sell between N850 and N950, blaming the high cost on scarcity.

Commercial drivers tell Legit.ng that the scarcity has also caused transportation costs to hike by as much as 30%.