The Department of Petroleum Resources has shut unregistered gas plants and petrol stations in Abuja saying they were engaging in sharp practices according to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.
The LPG operators were said to be operating illegally, while the two petrol stations were sealed for operating without a license.
“In today’s exercise, 11 illegal LPG plants were raided in collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); some personnel of these illegal facilities was arrested and they have been handed over to security operatives for prosecution.
“All our efforts to get the attention of the illegal facility operators with the view of regularising their business failed to yield the desired result,” Wilkie Roselyn, DPR Abuja Zonal Operations Controller said.
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She also added that the “DPR cannot sit back and watch the danger the existence of these illegal facilities portends to the lives and property of citizens.”
This necessitates our going out as the situation arises, to enforce provisions of the relevant laws and regulations for construction and operation of petroleum products facilities in the downstream sector.”
She said that DPR, as a business enabler, had been engaging illegal petroleum product facility owners to come and be guided on how best to regularise their businesses and operate legally in a safe environment.
The zonal operations controller called on all illegal facility operators to come forth and regularise their operations by obtaining the necessary license to operate from DPR.
