Tension is mounting in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, as the management of Infant Jesus Educational Academy and residents of Imade Osazee Street, Infant Jesus Road, have raised the alarm over the construction of an alleged illegal Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) plant in their neighbourhood, warning that it poses a grave threat to lives, particularly those of hundreds of school children.

In a petition addressed to Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, the residents and school authorities warned that the LPG facility, reportedly under construction behind an A.A. Rano filling station, is dangerously close to residential buildings and the Infant Jesus Educational Academy, which houses over 500 students in its boarding facilities.

The Guardian had earlier reported that officials of the Delta State Ministry of Oil and Gas had issued a “stop work” notice at the construction site amid rising safety concerns and questions about regulatory compliance at both the filling station and the gas plant.

The petition, dated January 19, 2026, and submitted through their legal representatives, P.J. Eleweke and Partners, was officially acknowledged by the Governor’s Office in Asaba.

According to the petitioners, the siting of the LPG plant contravenes existing safety regulations, including mandatory setback requirements.They alleged that the gas facility is being constructed less than five metres from residential bedrooms in a densely populated area, without the requisite approvals.

They further claimed that findings from the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) indicated that the LPG plant had been “smuggled” into the construction of a petrol station without formal approval from the relevant regulatory authorities.

The residents warned that a gas explosion in such a location would be catastrophic, citing the 2025 Agbor gas explosion, whose fatalities, they said, remain fresh in public memory.

“This is a ticking time bomb,” the petition stated, stressing that any explosion would not only endanger students and residents but could result in large-scale loss of life and property.

The petitioners, therefore, urged Governor Oborevwori to urgently intervene by ordering a thorough investigation and enforcing a halt to the construction of the alleged illegal LPG facility to prevent what they described as an avoidable disaster. (Guardian)

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