Twelve gas shops located in residential parts of Gusau, the Zamfara State capital have been closed down by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).
The DPR Controller in Gusau, Alhaji Ango Haruna, told journalists during a surveillance patrol on gas retail shops in Gusau, that “Some of the shops were sandwiched in residential areas and plazas while some were located near mechanics among others”.
Haruna added that “some were found using expired gas cylinders; some don’t have active fire extinguishers as well as not having safety equipment.
“These are some of the offences that led to their closure, therefore, we have to suspended them from operation until when they meet up with the minimum safety requirements to operate.
“We are going to advise those plants close to residential areas to relocate to suitable sites considering the dangers of their closeness to houses’’, he said.
The Controller said that the department is intensifying the inspection on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) plants and LPG retail shops to ensure that they complied with safety regulations.
He said anyone wishing to engage in gas and petroleum products business should liaise with the DPR for proper guidance.
