The Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popularly known as petrol sold at N170 per litre on Tuesday, The Nation learnt.
The price discouraged most marketers from lifting the product as they would not freely sell above the official N165 per litre maximum band.
The Nation also learnt it was almost impossible for marketers to access the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, depots due to the demand from marketers.
Abubakar Maigandi, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, national vice president, disclosed this to The Nation in Abuja.
Malam Garba Deen Muhammad, the NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, did not answer phone calls that sought his response to the matter.
He also did not reply the text that The Nation sent to him.
The persistent scarcity was abating in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday than the previous days.
As The Nation monitored the sale along Kubwa expressway, AA Rano was opened to customers, AYM Shafa, Oando by Dede junction were opened to customers.
Some few other ones sold the product too.
They all vended it at the official pump price of N165/litre.
Following a tip off, The Nation discovered how the retail outlets sell the product to black marketers.
At 5:30am, our Abuja correspondent was on his way to Zuba, when he was told of the Oando petrol station on Deidei junction was selling the product.
Surprisingly, the entire vicinity was dark. On arrival after driving through the u-turn, it was discovered the station was selling the product to black marketers in plastic cans.
At that time vehicles were disallowed from entering.
But around 6:20am, the gate was opened to vehicles, giving the impression that the station was just about to commence its business for the day.
