Killer Kerosene In Delta

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No fewer than 15 persons have fallen victims of serious kerosene explosion across Delta State since the last two weeks.

Unknown to the buyers who were mostly housewives and food-sellers, the killer products had been adulterated and sold at cheaper rate. Some of the victims who spoke with Daily Sun on grounds of anonymity, said they couldn’t know that the kerosene product have been adulterated with diesel and a little mixture of fuel.

A woman who simply identified herself as Elizabeth, claimed she followed other women to buy the killer-products because the price was very cheap. Elizabeth, a mother of four presently battling with life at a private hospital in Warri, expressed fear that she might not survive the ordeal she was going through because of the degree of burns she was presently nursing.Investigation revealed that majority of the victims were located in Warri and neighbouring Effurun communities, while others were nursing their wounds in adjoining towns and villages. Daily Sun, discovered that the killer-products were gotten from illegal refineries and dubious dealers within the various settlements.

When Daily Sun visited the Central Hospital, Warri some victims were on admission at the Female Surgical Ward, while others were still waiting to be admitted at the emergency ward. One of the victims at the female surgical ward, with very serious injuries could not express herself. She was only calling on Jesus, Jesus in a faint voice to save her. Asked to narrate her ordeal, the fair-complexioned lady was just rolling from one side of her sick bed to the other, waving her hands endlessly for miraculous help.

Sadly, some families who could not afford to pay hospital bills, have taken their affected relations to tradomedical home where they were presently receiving treatment. Scores of persons who spoke with Daily Sun described the incident as horrible and condemned the perpetrators of the adulterated kerosene products. She called on the Federal Government and security operatives to fish out the evil doers and bring them to justice.

The people also wanted proper monitoring of distribution of the products to ascertain both the adulterated and the original product. Only recently, soldiers from the 3rd battalion, Nigerian Army Effurun, near Warri arrested a tanker with a Lagos number, loaded with substance suspected to be illegally refined AGO at Niger Cat Junction, Effurun with three persons in the vehicle.

The driver of the truck on interrogation, confessed that the illegally refined products were mixed with 13,000 litres of kerosene in Benin-City, Edo State. Beside, there had been avalanche of arrest by the soldiers at various strategic locations in the state. Meanwhile, residents in the affected areas are now scared of using kerosene to cook their meals as most of them have resorted to the use of Gas, wood and charcoal.