President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been urged by the Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe (ANPE) to take immediate action to address the rising problem of phoney gasoline imports into the nation.

The group said that the importation of contaminated petroleum products is seriously endangering the safety and well-being of Nigerians and asked the President to act immediately to stop it in a statement issued on Wednesday.

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The statement, which was signed by Mr. Solomon Ola, Global President of ANPE, demands that the illicit importation of inferior petroleum products into Nigeria be looked into. The organisation voiced worries about the possible economic and political repercussions of permitting the entry of such goods into the market, especially those with Russian origins.

Part of the statement said:

The alarming promises made by some players regarding the safety of the goods being offered in the market have caused the Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe (ANPE) to closely monitor developments in Nigeria’s petroleum industry. As the country’s leader, ANPE impels President Bola Tinubu to stop Nigeria from turning into a landfill for tainted, subpar petroleum products.

Recent indications that contaminated goods, including Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), sometimes referred to as petrol, are being smuggled into Nigeria have alarmed ANPE. Because of their inferior quality, which might harm equipment and cars and have serious negative effects on the environment and human health, industry professionals sometimes refer to the items as “fake fuel.”

Nigeria’s state finances, which are already under stress due to health and environmental issues, might be further burdened by continuing to import such items, the group cautioned, since the nation would have to pay more to repair the harm that would occur.

Furthermore, ANPE emphasised the possible political repercussions of importing petroleum products from Russia that are sanctioned by the Price Cap Coalition, which consists of the US, Australia, the EU, and the G7. The sale of petroleum products and crude oil with a Russian origin is prohibited under these restrictions unless the price per barrel is $60 or less. Many of the goods being imported into Nigeria are in violation of these prohibitions, according to ANPE.

In order to further undermine President Tinubu’s economic policies, the group also denounced the importation of relatively costly petroleum into Nigeria when cheaper, higher-quality options could be found domestically.

“European companies engaged in the sale of these tainted products—products that cannot be sold in other African countries like Ghana, Benin Republic, South Africa, and others—have found Nigeria to be a prime destination,” the statement went on. Nigerian local partners are planning to force these dangerous goods on the country’s citizens in order to profit from them.

In its closing statement, ANPE urged President Tinubu to act quickly and instructed the appropriate authorities to look into and halt the illicit trade in contaminated petroleum products, which endanger the country and its people.