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Joe Effiong, Uyo,
The Nigeria Security and Civil Corps has arrested 10 suspected illegal liquified petroleum gas operators in Akwa Ibom.
State Commandant of corps, Mr Adeyinka Ayinla who disclosed this to newsmen at the end of routine surveillance in Uyo on Thursday, said that the corps was in collaboration with DPR to fish out illegal LPG refilling points in the state.
The routine surveillance was said have been carried out in conjunction with Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Akwa Ibom.
“We are going to investigate the matter and after investigation, if they are guilty we will take them to court or to pay some penalties to DPR.
“We have been pleading with the people of the state not to do ingenuine business. This kind of business can kill and that is why we are telling them to desist from it,” Ayinla said.
Ayinla advised gas operators to stop the illegal business, saying that anyone caught would face the wrath of the law.
Responding, Mr Tamunoiminabo Kingsley-Sundaye, Operations Controller of DPR said that the department had condemned illegal Liquified Petroleum Gas refilling points in the state.
“We went on joint actions with NSCDC to ensure that we dismantled the illegal LPG refilling points in the state.
“This process is not allowed, they are not facilities, people converted residential houses and commercial areas to gas plants, where they turned cylinders to become vessels.
“This process we will continue to say that the mode is not known to any standard in oil and gas industry not only in Nigeria and to the World,” he said.
He noted that the department would continue to sensitised and give awareness on the dangers of the illegal business.
Kingsley-Sundaye said that the objective was to save life and property in the state, stressing that the department did not want to wait till the incident happens.
He added that the business would not stand because they are not known to the policy and guardlines of the government.
Kingsley-Sundaye said that the sister agency would do close monitoring of the LPG refilling points across the state.
He advised the operators to desist from the business even against their own life and even the life’s of those they are paying peanut to dispense the LPG product.
“Refilling in the process end with gas refilling plants, you can not refill any cylinder at this point, what is allowed is gas resellers.
“Gas resellers business is just for you to fill cylinder from gas plants and exchange with that same size for somebody to come and exchange with you but duplicating what is supposed to happen in typical gas plants will never stand,” Kingsley-Sundaye said.
