By Chika Amanze-Nwachuku, Deji Elumoye and Olawale Olaleye, 12.29.2006

The news, which was later discovered to be false, was said to have emanated from residents of the area, who had alleged that miscreants were siphoning feul from a vandalised pipeline. A leader in that community, who spoke with journalists stated that the rumours were being spread by residents, although he did not rule out the possibility of miscreant attempting to vandalize the NNPC pipeline in the area.

But the Corporation which also dismissed the news as a mere rumour, has called on police authorities to take urgent steps to tighten security around the pipelines to prevent further vandalization by miscreants.
Briefing newsmen yesterday, Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Francisico Abosede, alerted on another impending explosion in the state and urged the Federal Government, the NNPC and other relevant authorities to regularly organize joint security patrol to man pipelines in the state.

The Commissioner alleged that there are leakages from NNPC pipelines scattered across the state, and warned that except the federal government and relevant agencies take urgent steps to better the state of the pipelines another explosion is likely to occure.

He mentioned Akute, Baruwa village, Agbado-oko-aro, Ilashe village, Ijegun, Oko-itire and Adosoba as areas where disaster looms, and that recalled that the state Governor Bola Tinubu had on several occasions, at both formal and informal levels written the presidency, the NNPC and other relevant agencies about the deplorable condition of the corporation'spipelines in the state as well as the noticeable security lapses, but that nothing has been done since then.

He therefore appealed to the NNPC and other relevant federal agencies to take physical possession of the right of way of the corporation's oil pipelines in the state, adding that the right of way is 50 meters under the operative building plan regulation of Lagos state which is a zone of no development.

While assuring that the state government would render necessary assistance in this regard, and other processes in order to free the NNPC oil pipeline right of way from all encumbrances, Abosede disclosed that Lagos state has not granted any form of approval or permit along the right of way of pipelines in any part of the state, pointing out that the right of way falls within the purview of the Petroleum Act of Nigeria.

Reacting to the news of another explosion, NNPC's spokesman, Dr. Livi Ajuonuma, who confirmed that the police have been asked to be patrolling the areas, dismissed as false and mere rumour, the report that an explosion occured in Baruwa where vandals were scooping feul from a vandalised pipeline.

He stated that the corporation, on receiving the news, quickly mobilzed some officials to visit the said spot, but only to discover that it was a mere rumour. Acting on the said directive however, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, was said to have ordered his officers and men to begin a 24 -hour patrol of those areas and to ensure that the perpetrators of the dastardly act were fished out and brought to book.

Meanwhile sources at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital disclosed yesterday that more of the victims of Tuesday explosion, who were on admission at the hospital have died. The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Femi Olugbile had on Wednesday stated that the injuries sustained by the victims were quite extensive as most of them had more than 50 degrees burns, a condition, which experts consider highly risky for survival.

In a related developmrnt, governorship flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, yesterday condoled families of people who lost their lives in the fire incident, describing the development as another sad experience in the life of the nation, particularly during the festive period.

The governorship candidate who spoke from the United States where he is holidaying, regretted that hundreds of Nigerians who would have had their useful input in the development of the society might have lost their lives in what he described as avoidable tragedy. Obanikoro said "although, away from home for a much-needed rest, it is however appropriate to express my sorrow for the recent loss of lives from the oil pipeline accident. It is also with regrets and heavy heart that I express my sorrow over the loss of lives of hundreds of people during the accident".
It would be recalled that hundreds of people were killed on teusday in an inferno which was caused by vandalization of an NNPC pipeline.