By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
Warri residents were on Monday hit by severe fuel scarcity as filling stations across the city shut down in compliance with the nationwide strike declared by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Major outlets, including Mobil, locked their gates early in the morning while NUPENG officials patrolled the city to enforce the order and sanction defaulters.
With no access to fuel, desperate motorists and tricycle riders flooded black-market points where petrol prices instantly jumped from ₦617 per litre to between ₦1,200 and ₦1,400.
“I drove around town for over two hours and couldn’t find a single station selling. The only option is black market, but the price is outrageous,” a frustrated tricycle operator told our correspondent.
The shutdown follows NUPENG’s protest against alleged anti-labour practices at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. Despite appeals from the Federal Government to suspend the action, NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, insisted on Sunday that the strike would continue until a firm resolution is reached.
The situation has sparked fears of a nationwide fuel crisis, with the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) also ordering its members to shut filling stations in solidarity. The group warned that the disruption could stretch for days if negotiations collapse.
By mid-morning, transport fares in Warri had doubled, worsening the hardship for commuters and residents.
Authorities have appealed for calm as the Ministry of Labour continues talks with NUPENG and the Dangote Group in Abuja. But with tanker drivers off the roads and stations sealed, many fear tougher days ahead if the strike drags on.