• Lagos Fire Service warns against trend • LNSC promises increased presence of officers during festive period
There is a palpable fear of fire outbreak as people store Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at home and in vehicles as a result of relative scarcity of the product.

The fear has heightened as harmattan gradually spreads from the north.
As a result of fuel scarcity, some people have devised various means of storing the product at home, in their vehicles, under staircases or within the workplace.

Security agencies have been called to arrest anyone hawking or storing the product to prevent an outbreak of fire.
A resident at Gbagada, Kingsley Akande, said many young people have taken to black market sales of the product and are storing them in their homes, which could trigger fire outbreak.
According to him, the boys are visibly operating along the Oshodi-Oworonsoki expressway and Oworo –Ketu road without challenge by security agencies.

He called on security agencies to start arresting people storing the product as well as those hawking it to prevent fire during the festive period and dry season.

Speaking on the issue, Director, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye warned the public, particularly motorists to desist from the act of indiscriminate storage of the product at inappropriate places.
She said: “We recently did a campaign against that and we have also embarked on another campaign this week. We have also kicked off the Stay Safe at Festive Season enlightenment because fuel scarcity is still on. We still want people to stop storing fuel at home or in the car.
“If anyone has to store fuel of any quantity, the person needs permission to do that. People are expected to buy the quantity of fuel they can use and not to store.
“Safety is achieved in partnership with other stakeholders. people must also know that they are the government, they should alert us when their neighbours store fuel at home, they must be the government of their immediate environment.
“Storing the product in non-designated areas is one of the factors responsible for increase in fire outbreaks, which leads to the destruction of life and property being witnessed recently in the state.
“Fuel scarcity is not enough reason to illegitimately and inappropriately store fuel to the detriment of our lives and property.”

On his part, General Manager, Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), Prince Ifalade Oyekan, said: “We have scaled up our operations to cover 24 hours. We have also sent our officers to talk to our communities. We have been sensitising people that when they see something, they also must say something, not only that, they must also follow through. We continue to give the assurance to safe life and property.

“We are on the ground to ensure that lives and property are protected.”