DPR Seals 292 Filling Stations In Lagos

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has  sealed 294 filling stations in Lagos for various offenses in 2012.

Assistant Director, Public Affairs in the DPR, Mrs Belema Osibodu who disclosed this to journalists in Lagos  said that the stations were sealed for under dispensing and hoarding of petroleum products among other offences, adding that the offenders had been handed over to the police for prosecution.

The acting operations controller in Lagos and Ogun zone of DPR , Mr Gbenga Koku expressed worries over unwhole some practices of some petroleum dealers.

Koku expressed regret that some dealers still engaged in sharp practices even when petroleum products were available.

He said that the DPR was intensifying its efforts to curtail fuel adulteration and under-dispensing of petroleum products by dealers.

On the number of those convicted, he said that the department could not immediately provide the details because those held were handed over to the police for prosecution.

“The law establishing the DPR did not give it the power to arrest and prosecute offenders. The legal aspect is handled by the police and we leave  at that point because the law does not allow us to arrest and take offenders to court”, he stated.

Koku said that the DPR had also started inspecting corporate organisation to ascertain their level  of compliance with minimum safety measures in fuel storage.