A total of 129 filling stations are operating illegally in Kwara state.

The owners of the filling stations constructed them without obtaining necessary approval from the relevant agencies.

The Permanent Secretary, Kwara State Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Alh Mustapha Abdullahi, disclosed this at a public hearing on proliferation of filling stations organised by the state House of Assembly, and suggested that stiff penalties should be meted out to owners of the illegal filling stations.

He added that no filling stations should be allowed within three kilometres radius of core areas in Ilorin, and urged the legislature to pass the pending Urban and Regional Planning Board Bill to check haphazard development of property in the state.

Declaring the public hearing open, the assembly Speaker, Dr. Ali Ahmad said the culprits would be sanctioned.

He said the public hearing was in response to the cries of the people against illegal construction of filling stations in the state and assured that the House under his leadership would carry out its legislative functions without fear or favour. He recalled that in 2006, the then government had placed an embargo on construction of new filling stations in Ilorin metropolis .