Nigeria's military leader General Abdulsalami Abubakar has announced measures to tackle the country's fuel crisis.

In a statement issued after a meeting with oil company executives, General Abubakar said funds would be provided immediately for repairs at oil refineries in the southern cities of Warri and Port Harcourt, with the aim of improving output by fifty per cent within eight weeks.

Security will be tightened along oil pipelines to prevent tampering, thought to have been the cause of the fire near Warri last week that killed seven hundred people.

Other steps will include extra fuel imports and a clampdown on the black market in oil, with heavy penalties for petrol hoarding and diversion and better rates of pay for tanker drivers.