Ban on gas cylinders: Dealers cry out to FCT police boss

The FCT Gas and Allied Gas Products Association has cried out to the FCT Commissioner of Police on the treatment they are subjected to by Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) since the announcement on the ban on gas cylinders in the territory.

Speaking on behalf of the association at the CP’s office, Barrister Obutea Morris, said that since the ban, gas selling business has been on the verge of collapse.

“The divisional police officers in the FCT lock up their shops compulsorily and it has not been easy for them as the means to support their various families are affected. They are ready to work with the police to do what is required of them by law instead of locking up their shops, leaving them jobless and hungry,” he said.

Responding, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu, told the association that part of the measures they are trying to put in place to curb terrorism in FCT is to look into the movement of gas in all forms.

He said the command started by banning the sale of gas, especially by compelling allied gas and gas accessories to register with the divisional police in their area to control the movement and sale in every part of Abuja.

“This is to allow us know who are legally allowed to sell gas, and those involved in it. The association wrote us wanting me to grant them audience. There are more than 300 of them and the divisional police officers were instructed that all the dealers must comply with the rules and regulations in FCT,” he said.

The FCT police boss also said that they have to regulate the movement of gas in the territory, saying “We understand the need for them to do their business but we need public support to control them and curb terrorism and other criminal activities in FCT the same way we banned scavengers in Abuja. FCT residents should call the police if they see scavengers around their area. We need the public to help the police to protect them,” he added.

He said the police can’t go from home to home checking gas cylinders but that any gas cylinder seen must be accounted for while hinting that they have clamped down on some offenders, who were unregistered but still sold gas.

Mbu urged the public to buy their gas cylinders from registered dealers, warning that where a user could not give good explanation where he got his gas from, he would be arrested as a potential terrorist.