Nigeria Turns Away Toxic Gas

Officials at Nigeria's Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) barred a European vessel laden with toxic kerosene from berthing and discharging its cargo at the country's main Apapa seaport, local press reports indicated Monday.

According to a private newspaper, the Punch, officials acted on a tip off that the ship, identified as MTVIOR, carried toxic kerosene widely used for domestic cooking and lighting across Nigeria.

"The kerosene was toxic, it had a flashpoint of 43 as against 45, and the colour was black whereas kerosene should be colourless," the paper quoted a DPR official saying.

"Information made available to the DPR indicated that the kerosene was imported by a group of independent marketers. But so far, all independent marketers interrogated denied any involvement in the deal," the official said, adding that investigations were on-going.

In 2002, more than 200 Nigerians were killed and many more wounded in a spate of kerosene explosions traced to toxic product.

Oil-producing Nigeria imports refined products for local consumption since poor maintenance has hobbled its four refineries, which are either shut down or producing far below capacity.

Nigeria recently deregulated the fuel market to encourage more independent marketers to join state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in the importation of petroleum products.