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Panic ensued on Thursday morning in Benin, the Edo State Capital when a Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, powered vehicle exploded at NIPCO filling station along the Benin-Auchi Expressway.
The vehicle, in a video making the rounds, was smashed while people ran for dear lives as the loud sound from the explosion created panic among residents in the vicinity.
It was gathered that three persons sustained various degrees of injuries and have been rushed to a private hospital for medical attention.
Read Also: Hardship: Overhaul NNPCL Now Or Risk Protests – Ohanaeze
The incident comes in the wake of safety concerns raised about the conversion of petrol-powered vehicles to CNG as advocated for by the Federal Government as a measure to lower the cost of transportation following the removal of fuel subsidies.
The Coalition for Energy Reforms and Good Governance Advocacy on Sunday has implored the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL to remove hidden levies and charges on Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, better known as petrol, locally sourced from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The coalition said the removal of the levies and charges would make the product affordable for Nigerians and end the worsening hardship being faced by citizens.
This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the coalition’s Executive Director, Dr Jonathan Amande.
The call followed the latest increase in the pump prices of petrol by the NNPCL which had triggered widespread outrage among Nigerians.
The concerned citizens are questioning what prompted the fuel hike when the product is being locally refined.
Reacting to the hike, the Coalition called on NNPCL to urgently eliminate hidden charges on fuel prices from the Dangote Refinery, stating that these hidden levies have been added to the Premium, inspection fee, margin and NMDPRA (Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority) fee that were publicly declared.
It argued that “these invisible government levies, including those from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, are unjustified and inflates the cost of locally produced fuel.
