Gboyega Adeoye
Inferno broke out in Ijegun, Alimosho local government area of Lagos State early this morning after suspected hoodlums vandalised pipelines belonging to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
Suspected pipeline vandals were said to have ignited the fire at about 5am on Thursday at Fire Junction, Ijegun, in a bid to prevent security operatives from pursuing them.
 It was gathered on the scene of the incident that the vandals who brought a fuel tanker to the scene were among the casualties of the explosive.
According to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the vandals had siphoned Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) into a 33,000 litre capacity tanker and were loading a second one when security operatives intercepted them.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LASEMA, Femi Oke-Osanyetolu, while narrating the operational tactics of the hoodlums said the vandals spilled some of the PMS which entered drainages while fleeing and allegedly lit a fire that followed the spilled content backward
He said: âWhile trying to escape from the security agencies, some of the siphoned fuel spilled into the drainage and the vandals were alleged to have set the spilled fuel on fire in a bid to deter the security agencies from apprehending them.
âThe fire then spread back to the pipeline, the point where the vandals had siphoned the fuel and exploded with escalating fire which led to two fatalities and over 30 vehicles burnt.
People in the community told Nigerian Current that the loud bang of the explosion obstructed the early morning serenity, jolting the residents to life.
Subsequently, fire-fighters from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Lagos State Fire Service have reportedly responded to the incident.
It was also gathered that NNPC had shut down further supplies through the affected pipeline, while security agencies have cordoned off the area.
As at the time of filling this report, fire-fighters had succeeded in putting out the fire while the Lagos State government urged residents to remain calm.
The Ijegun area has always been very notorious for the activities of oil thieves who have incessantly hacked into pipelines with the aim of stealing products.
The Acting Group General Manager Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim stated that:
âWe wish to acknowledge oil spill from our pipeline at the Ijegun area in Lagos and to state that the unfortunate incident is a result of pipeline sabotage by people suspected to be oil thieves. Lately, we have been experiencing a rise in the incidents of pipeline vandalism on the Ijegun section of our pipeline and doing our best to fix them as soon as they are noticed. In this month alone, we have located and fixed 73 ruptured points on that Mosimi â Ijegun â Atlas Cove line,â Ibrahim stated.
He noted that the entire stretch of that pipeline was replaced in 2010, ruling out the possibility that the rupture may have been as a result of the old age of the pipeline.
The NNPC spokesman assured that PPMC engineers have since been mobilized to the area to contain the spill, locate and fix the ruptured points.
âDespite the difficult nature of the terrain, our engineers are working relentlessly to fix the damaged line. They are doing everything to contain the spill and stop it from spreading to cause more environmental damage. We therefore call on members of the public not to go near the area for safety reasonsâ Ibrahim stated.
He called on members of the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious movement around pipelines to the law enforcement agencies and support NNPC in its fight against oil theft and pipeline vandalism, adding: âWhen incidents like this occur, they do not just lead to disruption in the petroleum products supply system and cause hardship for the ordinary hardworking citizens, they have long-lasting devastating effects on the environment which could affect future generationsâ.
     
