Residents of Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State have been, for weeks, at loggerheads with some operators of retail gas stations since the explosion of a gas shop in Ajao Estate that killed four persons on July 28.
Their grouse is the proliferation of retail gas stations and illegal citing of filling stations amid fear of explosion from the highly inflammable substance.
The local government has recorded the highest number of gas explosions in the state in the last 12 months, which residents blame on ineffective policies of the government to curb the excesses of the gas retailers.
One of the landlords, Ewetunde Femi, told The Guardian plans were on by property owners to issue quit notice to retailers before the end of the year.
“There would have been an explosion here in June if not for the grace of God. That Sunday, the gas cylinder of the guy selling was leaking seriously while at the front of his shop was a woman frying bean cakes and fish with firewood. Thankfully, that Sunday, she did not show up; that was what saved us from an explosion, which would have destroyed our buildings. This is why we are sending them away,” he said. (Guardian)