The Chief Executive Officer of Ecogas Energy Resources Ltd., Chief Shina Luwoye, has raised concerns over the growing activities of petroleum product diversion, adulteration and unsafe domestic gas practices across Ogun State and major transit routes in the South-West.

Luwoye raised the alarm in Abeokuta while receiving executive members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State Council, who paid a courtesy visit to the company's headquarters.

He described the illicit siphoning of petroleum products, popularly known among criminal cartels as "truck parties", as a growing menace involving tanker drivers who allegedly collude with criminal elements in host communities to steal and adulterate petroleum products in transit.

According to him, although Ecogas has deployed stringent tracking and monitoring systems to secure its fleet, activities of criminal networks along major highways continue to pose serious risks to the public and the petroleum supply chain.

He identified the Ogere corridor, the Ijebu-Ode axis, particularly for products transported northwards, and the Ore stretch, which serves as a major route for products from the Dangote Refinery heading towards the East and other parts of the South-West, as major hotspots for the illegal activities.

Lamenting what he described as a conspiracy of silence, Luwoye said residents of affected communities were often aware of the illegal operations, while relevant government authorities remained uninformed.

He also accused some transport unions of shielding erring members rather than cooperating with efforts to expose and address the criminal activities.

"These are things that are going on that people in the communities know, but government may not know that such illegalities are happening.

"Even when their members are reported, the unions try to cover them up. It has become what we call open secrets, and somebody needs to bell the cat so we can address it," he said.

On domestic energy safety, the Ecogas chief warned households against continued use of expired or compromised Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders, describing them as potential sources of devastating domestic explosions.

He noted that many consumers wrongly assume that gas cylinders are safe simply because they appear functional or have been freshly repainted, comparing the practice to driving a vehicle with expired tyres on the assumption that they would not burst.

To address the danger without imposing additional financial pressure on consumers, Luwoye urged the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to license and empower private investors to establish local cylinder revalidation, calibration and pressure-testing facilities.

He, however, expressed concern over regulatory bottlenecks at the nation's ports and multiple levies imposed by agencies, including SON, the Ministry of Environment and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) authorities.

He said 100 per cent import duties and prolonged cargo clearance delays, sometimes lasting several months, could discourage investments in critical gas safety infrastructure.

Offering practical safety tips, Luwoye explained that most domestic gas leakages were associated with neglected accessories rather than the cylinders themselves.

He therefore advised households to replace gas hoses and burner components at least once a year to minimise the risk of leakage and domestic accidents.

Earlier, the Chairman of the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel, Comrade Yetunde Fatungase, commended Ecogas Energy Resources Ltd. for its contributions to private-sector investment, job creation and sustainable energy development.

Fatungase also expressed the chapel's readiness to partner with the company in promoting public safety awareness and educating residents on responsible domestic gas usage across Ogun State.