From: Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has sealed a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) affiliate filling station at Apomu area, near Ifo, Ogun State, for alleged safety negligence.

In a similar move, the monitoring team led by Operations Controller, Abeokuta Field Office, Muinat Bello-Zagi, also shut a fuel pump at a filling station in Papalanto area of Ewekoro Local Government Area, for under-dispensing petroleum products to consumers.

The inspection was a continuous exercise which began, on Tuesday, as part of DPR routine check on dispensing measures in terms of quality, quantity as well as safety standard.

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Briefing journalists after the monitoring exercise, Bello-Zagi explained that there was sale of alcohol as the NNPC station has bar within it.

She added that the fire extinguishers at the  station have expired and not serviced, while the sand bucket has no sand.

“The NNPC affiliate station was sealed for safety lapses, sale of alcoholic beverages are not allowed in petrol stations. The fire extinguishers have all expired. The sand buckets were without sand. Then we saw some cars being fueled without those cars switching off their ignitions.

“They have to address all those lapses before we can unseal the station. We want everybody who comes to the filling stations to back home safely,” DPR boss said.

She disclosed that about 35 filling stations were visited during the two-day inspection across Ogun State.