Pipeline Outbreak Rocks Lagos

A pipeline explosion ensued at Ije-Ododo in Ojo Local Government Area, Lagos around 11:15 pm due to the activities of suspected pipeline vandals.
Vanguard reported that the outbreak had caused dismay in the neighbourhood on Monday. As at 12:30p.m. yesterday, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, officials and men of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, were not present at the incident.

The members of Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, informed by the Federal Government to secure pipelines, were seen few metres from the explosion point.

It was gathered that it was difficult to access the scene because the plank bridge constructed by NNPC for easy access to the point had been damaged by the hoodlums to avoid any disruption from security officials.

A commercial motorcycle operator known as Mr. Tajudeen Olaosebikan, said the explosion started few minutes after the rainfall.

According to him, “this was few minutes past 11p.m. At that time, I was on my way to Ije-Ododo when there was thunder and few seconds later, I heard a loud bang. The next thing I saw was fire from the pipeline.”

Olaosebikan said vandals must have commenced their operations immediately the heavy downpour started.

However, the leader of Ikotun-Igando division of OPC, Mr. Taiwo Famuyiwa, said: “We do not know what caused the explosion. What we saw was fire and we have informed NNPC. They will visit the place to ascertain the cause of the explosion.”

The OPC coordinator for the zone, Mr. Mauruf Lawal, said they could not say if the pipeline was ruptured by vandals because the bridge to access the entire stretch of the pipelines had been damaged by the vandals.

He lamented that the bridge had been faulty for months, adding that they had informed NNPC to help repar it. But all we received was assurance that it would be done.”

Lawal said: “When the bridge was still functioning, we were able to arrest vandals and impound their stolen products. But since it was damaged, we could neither access the point nor arrest any vandals.”

The South-West Information Officer, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, said: “Vandals struck again on the NNPC pipeline at Ije-Ododo line around 11:15p.m., Monday.

“NNPC has shut down flows and locked the supply valves to stop feeding the fire. Action will commence to put out the fire after securing access to the difficult terrain that has proven extremely difficult due to the swampy nature of the area.