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ANOTHER EXPLOSION ROCKS GAS FACILITY IN RIVERS STATE
Barely a week after a major explosion on the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, another blast occurred, this time at the Soku oil facility in Akuku Toru Local Government Area.
It is believed that the explosion has further heightened concerns over the security of oil infrastructure in the region.
The latest explosion, confirmed by the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), was reported on Sunday.
The grassroots NGO, with a strong presence in the Niger Delta, disclosed that its youth volunteers had alerted the organization about the early morning blast at the Soku oil facility, operated by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited.
In a statement signed by the Executive Director, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, YEAC-Nigeria revealed that an explosion, accompanied by fireballs, was heard and seen rising from the facility.
“The fire is still ongoing as of the time of this report,” the statement noted. However, the facility remains difficult to access, and the exact cause of the explosion is still unknown.
As the investigation continues, speculation surrounds the cause of the explosion. Possible causes mentioned include equipment failure, sabotage, or a deliberate attack.
This marks the third such incident in the oil-rich Rivers State within a week, raising serious concerns about the state’s oil infrastructure security.
The first explosion occurred in Ogoni, followed by another in the Oga/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.
These incidents were referenced by President Bola Tinubu in his nationwide broadcast on March 18, where he declared a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, partly due to the repeated attacks on the region’s oil infrastructure.
In response to these attacks, the President suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, citing the governor’s failure to protect oil facilities.
YEAC-Nigeria has called for an immediate investigation into the latest Soku explosion. The group urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to determine the cause of the explosion and ensure accountability.
“Perpetrators of this crime must be held accountable in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021,” YEAC-Nigeria stressed in the statement, as they demanded swift action to address the escalating violence in the region.
Meanwhile, Fyneface has however warned against attributing the recent explosion on the Trans-Niger Delta Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area, Rivers State, to the ongoing political crisis in the region.
In an interview, he attributed the explosion to equipment failure rather than political unrest and urged against speculating about ethnic tensions or sabotage being the primary cause.
Fyneface pointed to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Shell, which operate the pipeline, as responsible for maintaining the aging infrastructure.
He explained that the pipelines, which have been in place for over sixty years, are increasingly prone to failure.
“These pipelines have been laid for over sixty years, and they are bursting and deflating like balloons when there is heavy pressure transporting crude oil to the export terminal in Bonny,” he said.
He noted that the lack of maintenance on these pipelines has contributed to their deterioration, making them more susceptible to explosions and spills.
The activist also dismissed claims that the explosion was connected to the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, particularly threats from youths who had warned of sabotaging pipelines due to ethnic tensions between the Ikwerre and Ijaw ethnic groups.
“Ogoni land does not belong to either the Ikwerre or Ijaw ethnic nationalities,” Fyneface emphasized, highlighting the regional dynamics at play in the ongoing political dispute. He made it clear that while the political tensions are real, they were not the cause of the explosion.
Fyneface further clarified that whether the explosion was caused by equipment failure or sabotage would ultimately be determined by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA). He called for a thorough investigation to ascertain the exact cause and prevent future incidents.
He also pointed to the regular occurrence of oil spills and pipeline explosions in the Niger Delta, noting that any period without these incidents should be regarded as a rare moment of celebration.
“Any week or month that passes without these two occurrences is a time for celebration,” he quipped, underscoring the severity of the environmental damage caused by these incidents.
Looking ahead, Fyneface warned that the deteriorating state of the region’s infrastructure, compounded by the ongoing divestment by multinational oil companies, would likely lead to more pipeline failures.
