By Sarah NEGEDU
Officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration on Thursday, uncovered an illegal oil refining warehouse in Mabushi, where petroleum products are adulterated and circulated across the territory.
The discovery was made during an operation of the FCTA Joint Taskteam on City Sanitation, where the warehouse opposite Mobile filling station on Ahmadu Bello way in Mabushi was raided.
The Director, Department of Development Control, FCTA, Mukhtar Galadima, who led the team comprising security personnel, said the illegal refining site was discovered during the continuation of the city cleaning exercise.
According to him, about 3 plots of land designated for commercial purposes have been converted to an area where oil and diesel are being adulterated and circulated to other parts of the city.
Galadima explained that the city sanitation task force will look into the provision of the law and make necessary recommendations to the FCT Administration for further actions on the plots used for the activity.
He said there was no arrest but the items used in carrying out the illegal refining have been impounded.
Galadima said, “During the continuation of our city sanitation exercise in Mabushi opposite Mobile filling station on Ahmadu way, we discovered an illegal refining site where oil and diesel are being adulterated. We have done the needful by moving the items to Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.
“From what we have seen so far, about three or four pilot of lands designated for commercial purposes have been converted to unapproved activities, which we believe the owners are fully aware, there will be consequences.
“We are going to look at the provision of the law and make necessary recommendations to the FCT Administration”
He said the administration will continue to go tough on activities being carried out without government approval, especially revocation of the titles.
Collaborating, Head, operations FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Service, DRTS, Deborah Osho, said the city management team during the exercise also discovered that most of the areas in the nation’s capital have been converted to illegal car mart and motor parks.
She disclosed that fifteen vehicles have so far been impounded since the operation commenced about two days.
