Filling stations in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Tuesday, closed down following an announcement by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on further increment in pump price of petrol from N537 to N617 per litre.

LEADERSHIP noted that some independent filling stations had changed their pump price to N580 while some were selling at N600 per litre.

There were also long queues of vehicles in the few filling stations that were dispensing fuel in Ilorin, the state capital.

The development caught both the commercial and private vehicle owners unawares as they woke up to see long queues at filling stations while the gates of many others were locked.

Motorists in desperate need of petrol had to resort to black market where a litre of the commodity was being sold for N700.

Some motorists that spoke with LEADERSHIP appealed to the federal government to halt the latest increase in pump price of petrol.

They lamented the untold hardship that the fuel subsidy removal had caused the transporters, the civil servants and the poor citizens.