…Customers tackle fuel smuggling along borders

Transport fares remain high in most parts of the North-East region days after the prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) slumped to significantly in first price reduction of the year.

Residents, who spoke to BusinessDay, maintained that the failure of public transport owners and Government- owned transport corporation to bring down fares for both inter and intra-State shuttles, kept the cost of good and services high in the region.

The North-East consists six States of Borno, Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi, Taraba and Yobe, bordering some African nations including Chad, Cameroon and Niger Republic.

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Residents expressed concerns over high transport cost as they also groaned on the high cost of living.

Business Day checks showed that pump price in fuel stations in Adamawa varies with NNPC sells at #990 per litre, MRS sells at #845 per litre, while others sell between #965 and #1,010 per litre.

Currently, petrol prices in Maiduguri and Damaturu range between N960 and N1,010 per litre, a drop from the over N1,300 recorded in September 2024. However, transport costs, which had increased during the petrol price hike, have not been adjusted to reflect the recent reduction in PMS prices.

BusinessDay gathered that a journey of 8-hour drive from Damaturu to Abuja is now #20,000 as against #12,000 two years ago, while Maiduguri to Lagos is #48,000 as against #28,000 a year ago.

However, the inter-city private transportation remains on the high side. For instance, in Maiduguri, from the Post office to Bulumkuti, it costs #200 as against #100 a year ago. Also, Customs to Bulumkutu is equally #200.

Also, Ngozi Nwachukwu, who was at Gombe to travel to Lagos, said the fare was gradually making travelling unbearable at a rate, increasing from #14,000 to about #30,000.

Commuters who interacted with BusinessDay in Jalingo, Capital of Taraba State, stated that fares across the State had either doubled the previous rate or increased at an astronomical and alarming rate.

Likewise, Jibo Jonah, a commuter who was at Nwoniyi Park Jalingo to travel to Abuja, lamented that previously, the fare from Jalingo to Abuja was between #6,000 and #8,000, but he was asked to pay #20,000.

He expressed concerns while the price of fuel had reduced fares had remained constant and called on the necessary authorities to come to their aid

He said, ”I am surprised that we used to pay less than 20,000 naira to get to Lagos, but today, I am asked to pay 45,000. This is unbelievable. We expect that as the fuel price is gradually going down, fares should equally follow because the increase in the fare was a result of a hike in the price of fuel”. She stated

However, Lawan Shuaibu Maikanwa, the Chairman of Road Transport Workers, Jalingo Branch, emphasised that the reduction in the pump price of fuel was inconsequential, even as he said the cost of vehicle pair parts had increased beyond imagination.

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He disclosed that previously, you could buy fairly used tyres at the rate of #6000 to #10,000, but nowadays, the story is shocking as even N25,000 can not give you a fairly used tyre.

“A new tyre now is sold at the rate of between 70,000 to 80,000 as against 20,000 to 25,000 naira in those days. You could get fairly used tyres in those days at the rate of 6,000 or 10,000, but you can see what is happening now. This is just one of the challenges that drivers face

“So It is not only the issue of fuel reduction. What about the security agents’ drivers settling on the roads? What about their feeding, emergencies and related issues? Our leaders must examine the issues holistically, not only on the side of drivers”, he stressed.

Meanwhile, the booking clerk of Dan Pullo Transport Company and Abdullahi Salisu of People’s Choice at Nwoniyi Park who disclosed to our reporter the fare rate within and outside the state, noted that commuters pay N20,000 naira from Jalingo to Kano as against N8,000 they previously paid.

They disclosed that “Jalingo to Gombe is now N10,000 as against the previous #4000, Jalingo to Maiduguri is now #20,000 as against the previous #8,00. Jalingo to Makurdi is now #16 000 while Jalingo to Bauchi is now between #12,000 to #14,000 as against #8,000 previously.

“Jalingo to Makurdi is now 16000, Jalingo to Jos, which used to be between 12,000 to 14000 naira, is now 18,000 to 15,000 naira; Jalingo to Kaduna, which was between 16,000 to 20,000, is now 28,000 naira through Sharon and 23,000 Via bus”.

BusinessDay also gathered that the recent price of Dangote petrol had been adjusted downward. As of February 27, 2025, the ex-depot price for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), now N825 per litre, down from N890. This represents a significant reduction of N125 since January.

Meanwhile, Dangote Petrochemical and Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation Limited (NNPCL) has consistently lowered the prices of petrol and other refined petroleum products to benefit Nigerians.

This marks the second reduction of PMS prices in February 2025, following a previous decrease of N60 earlier in the month.

On the part of the black marketers, according to the commuters, a litre costs #1,100, hence the reason for the high cost of transportation within and outside the state.

However, in Adamawa, the Sunshine Express Transportation revealed that despite the reduction in the price of petroleum, “transport fares still remain on the high side.”

For commuters plying Cameroon and Adamawa’s border, the transport fare remains #35 000 as it was since last year, 2024; that of Lagos is #50 000 per passenger, with Abuja also paying a fare of #28 000.

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The Ministry of Transportation, which is saddled with the responsibility of supervising, monitoring and controlling the activities of both government and privately owned transport companies, has urged the general public to remain calm amid transportation challenges as the Ministry was trying to collaborate with stakeholders to ensure total compliance on the part of the commuters.

Reacting to the development, Muhammad Tukur Abbo, General Manager of Transport Board, said that “the Ministry is monitoring the development very keenly”, stressing that “if the price is maintained or continues by next week, the Ministry has the plan to engage all the stakeholders concerned to ensure masses get respite that comes with the price reduction.”

“When the pump price is sustained, certainly the transport fair will be reduced. The ministry will also engage the operators to have a review”, she added.

“Motor parts and engine oil are still very expensive, so you don’t expect the fare prices to change just like that,” said Abu Dan Borno, a driver plying Maiduguri to Abuja route.

Abubakar Mohammed Kareto, a Public Affairs Analyst expressed frustration over the stagnant fares, urging the government to intervene by providing subsidised mass transit vehicles.

He feared that unless action was taken, Nigerians might never benefit from the promised relief as fuel prices continue to decline.