An explosion on Tuesday rocked the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline at Ije Ododo area of Lagos State, after some vandals again tampered with the pipelines.
This is coming barely two weeks after the vandals ambushed and shot in cold blood, five policemen deployed to secure the area.
Also, recall that in February, a similar incident had occurred in the same area when some vandal damaged another pipeline at Ije Ododo at two different spots, leading to massive spillage of petrol.
The vandalism was said to have caused the explosion which saw billows of flames engulfing the whole pipeline, even as emergency services arrived to the rescue.
THISDAY gathered that the explosion occurred because the vandals had first tampered with the pipeline before inserting valves, with which they siphoned fuel from the ruptured pipes into kegs.
Confirming the incident, the South-west National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Spokesperson, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, however said emergency workers were initially impeded by the terrain.
He said while they were looking for access to the scene of the explosion, NNPC engineers had already mobilised by stopping supplies from flowing after they locked up the product valves.
He said: “Vandals struck again on the NNPC pipeline at Ije Ododo line and as at now, NNPC has shut down flows and locked the supply valves to stop further supply to feeding the fire.
“Action has commenced to put out the fire this morning after securing access to the difficult terrain, which had proven extremely difficult due to swampy nature of the area.
“Ije Ododo line is directly from Atlas Cove which supplies products to Moshinmi, which further distributes to other part of the South-west zone.
“Ije Ododo and Arepo have been very volatile and extremely dangerous due to activities of the vandals in recent times.”
To assist the appropriate agencies in doing their work of protecting the pipelines, Farinloye appealed to Nigerians to assist the government in safeguarding the nation’s infrastructure.