The Ilorin depot of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) which supplies petroleum products to Kwara and other neighbouring states of Kogi, Osun, part of Ekiti, Niger, among others, has been grounded for more than six months, Daily Trust investigations have revealed.

The development has hampered smooth distribution of the products in the state and the neighbouring states, and encouraged fuel price variations in the state.

Despite the suspension of the strike recently embarked upon by major marketers and tanker drivers, a litre of petroleum still sells at about N150.

The motorists buy a litre at some filling stations for N130 while other filling stations used to dispense a litre for N135 and N140, according to our findings.

The depot was one of the over 20 built across the country by the then military head of state General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd).

However, the state Chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers' Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Alhaji Abdulrasheed Olopade, said that Ilorin depot has stopped loading fuel for the past few months.