Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Acting Coordinator, South West Zonal Office of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, confirmed the development in a statement issued in Lagos.

Farinloye said the explosion was caused by the collapse of a 330KV Line which occurred within the axis earlier in the day.

He said the collapsed high tension line from Egbin Power Plant, Ikorodu, supplies electricity to Ikeja West fell under the operational network of Ikeja Electric.

“The electricity cable collapse led to sparks and the sparks got to spilled petrol around the area which led to the pipeline gutting fire and a subsequent explosion.

“The pipeline corridor has been known to have spillage often due to activities of vandals,’’ Farinloye stated.

He noted that the fire was still raging but did not pose any threat to lives or property

He stated also that NNPC’s safety officials were on their way to the swampy location to put out the fire.

Farinloye added that officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps were already on ground monitoring the situation.

He added that Ikeja Electric Plc. was trying to isolate the 330KV line, having been informed of the development.

Source: NAN

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The field is operated by Nigeria Agip Oil Company, a subsidiary of Italy’s Eni.

Ubeta is a border community between Bayelsa and Rivers states, separated by Orashi River, deep in the resource-rich Niger Delta.

A community source, who participated in a Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) to the burnt facility, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, that the fire, which broke out on September 20 had been contained.

The source explained that the fire, which was ignited in the early hours of September 20, was finally put off on September 22 by a fire-fighting team.

He said the JIV report concluded that the fire was caused by vandals.

Vandalism of pipeline installations is rampant in the Niger Delta, the resource base of Nigeria.

“A joint investigation at the scene of the incident by regulatory agencies, NOSDRA, DPR, Rivers State Ministry of Environment and community representatives to ascertain the cause of the inferno revealed that it was due to a third party interference.

“An illegal bunkering point was found on the pipeline at the point of the fire and it was being repaired,” said the source.

Ubeta residents informed NAN that the area is notorious for illegal crude refining activities, a development that has made the settlement a target for frequent raids by security agencies.

When contacted on the development, Ms Marilia Cioni, Regional External Communications Advisor in charge of sub-Saharan Africa at Eni, said the company would soon speak on the incident.

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Although details of the cause of the fire remains sketchy, it is believed to have been caused by vandals, some of whom had been burnt to death.

The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, said it had alerted the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, about the incident so that further supply through the pipeline could be stopped.

The statement issued by the spokesman of NEMA, South West zone, Ibrahim Farinloye reads:

“NEMA has also called on the safety unit of the corporation to immediately shut down further supplies through pipeline in order to suffocate the fire.

“It is noted that vandals are responsible for the incident and some of them are affected in the inferno.

“Security agencies have cordoned off the area to restrict access of undesirable elements. People should remain calm.”

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