The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) Kaduna zonal office, on Tuesday seized 20 pieces of 12.5kg expired and burnt gas cylinders that are being refurbished to be sold to the public as new.
DPR also ordered the immediate arrest of the owner of the welding shop, where the cylinders are being retooled and his four co-workers by operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC), while a fifth co-worker was left because he is a minor.
The seizures and arrests followed a raid by the DPR and Civil Defence on a welding shop in Kabala road, Tudun Wada, Kaduna.
Blueprint recalls that early this month, a gas retail outlet in Sabo Tasha, Chikun LGA, Kaduna was blown off by suspected gas explosion killing eight people including a Professor of nuclear physics.
The Head DPR Zonal Office, Kaduna, Mr Isa Tafida said the cylinders were seized because they are burnt, expired, scrapped and are unfit for use, adding that any attempt to retool them for reuse will be dangerous for everyone and everything around, as they are time bomb waiting to explode.
“The massive sensitisation programme we embarked on is working. We received a tipoff from a member of the community that this welder buys expired, scrapped gas cylinders to refurbish, paint and sell to the public as new. These cylinders are decommissioned with a hole in the bottom but they put a bolt in the hole and weld it like that.
“The cylinders don’t have strength to hold gas, they cannot withstand gas pressure, at the slightest pressure they would explode like bomb. The guy just go out look for pieces of cylinder scrap, weld them together, paint them and sell as new at exorbitant prices to unsuspecting public, who don’t know that they are buying time bomb.
“People buying gas cylinders should buy at DPR licensed retail outlets, they should look for SON stamp and expiry date. We came with law enforcement agents to arrest those involved for investigation.”
The owner of the welding shop, Mr Taiye Usman, said a client brought the 20 cylinders to him for repairs on Monday and was to come to pick them up on Tuesday. “Someone brought the 20 cylinders for repair, I don’t know where he got them, I don’t know what he wanted to do with them.
“I charged him N1,100 for each one, which is N22,000 for the 20. He brought them on Monday to collect them back on Tuesday. I don’t know his address but I have his phone number and i can call him to come and collect them and he would come,” Taiye said.
The suspects have been handed over to the Civil Defence for investigation and possible prosecution.
