Fire explosion on Wednesday roasted over 100 suspected petroleum pipeline vandals along Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline at Arepo area in Ogun State, a few kilometers away from Lagos.
Most reports indicate that the vandals had ruptured a pipeline and were busy scooping fuel gushing from damaged pipelines when the fire suddenly started.
The fire was still raging by early evening as there was no immediate indications it would be put out too soon.
Our correspondent reports that some vandals who survivide the inferno were seen trying to put out the fire, while others were removing the charred remains of their colleagues.
Although an unconfirmed report put the death toll at 100, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, could not state whether any casualty was recorded, as it claimed it could not access the terrain due to the magnitude of the fire.
However there other variants of the accounts as to how the fire that caused the explosion was kindled.
While one account some of the vandals intentionally fired some shots on the broken pipeline during a heated argument, thereby resulting in an explosion that sparked off a wild fire.
Another version said that it all started after different group of vandals stormed the creeks in boats loaded with empty jerry cans and engaged in a verbal confrontation over ownership of a section of the pipeline.
One gang, whose leader Is nicknamed Killer, was said to have ordered the other groups to vacate the creeks, stating that he was the owner of the section they invaded. But another group, who would not take such an order, reportedly told their boys to break another section of the pipeline, from where they began to siphon the product.
It was in the midst of this altercation over territorial rights that a member of Killer‘s group allegedly fired a shot at the broken pipeline, resulting in an inferno.
According to another account, the explosion occured after the vandals had completed their nefarious activities and were Heading out of the creeks when when one of the boats developed a fault.
It holds that the explosion was caused by the spark from the engine when they were trying to restart it.
A spokesman for the Nationsl Emergency Managment Agency In the South-West, Ibrahim Farinloye, while confirming the incident was not ready volunteer information on the number of casualties. He said simply,
“NNPC has been alerted about the explosion and has immediately shut down supplies to suffocate the fire, while efforts are on to put it out by the NNPC safety unit.
“No one can confirm if there are casualties or anyone injured because no agency is yet to access the scene which is swampy. No one can confirm until we get to the scene.”
However, residents of the area have called on the relevant authorities to come to their aid, following the incessant fires caused by vandals.
The area, Which was hitherto guarded by members of Odua People’s Congress, has been left unguarded for sometimes following the withdrawal of the OPC members by its leadership over non-payment of their contract fee by the Federal Government.
The NNPC management had called in policemen attached to the Inspector General of Police (Solomon Arase’s Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism, even they were having difficulty accessing the area as it has been overgrown with weeds and water hyacinth.
“You can see that there is no tent in this area. The one that was here was set ablaze by vandals who attacked members of the OPC. We were however invited by NNPC to come and secure the area while repairs will be done on the security post.
The newly posted officer in charge of the task force, Valentine Olumese, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) who was also at the scene, confirmed the incident to journalists.
He said police have completed plans to take over the security and protection of the area.
“The tent that was destroyed will be repaired and access to the scene will be created. Our men will maintain presence.”
He also assured that pipeline vandalism would be reduced to the barest minimum if police presence returns to the area.
