Lagos pipeline explosions: Is the government doing enough?

Very sadly for Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre and easily the most populated state in Nigeria with a population and GDP higher than many sovereign countries in the world, Lagos state has become a ‘Mecca’ of some sorts to pipeline explosions in Africa.

In more recent times, death and massive destruction of property came calling in Lagos in the morning hours of Sunday, March 15, 2020 when an explosion with an impact of epic proportions tore through Abule-Ado district in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area. About 25 people lost their lives with scores more injured, while over 50 houses and vehicles were either leveled or badly damaged. That was the second major tragedy to visit the state this year.

Abule Egba area had also on January 20, 2020 suffered an explosion which killed at least two people, with several houses and dozens of cars destroyed. The above incidents were linked to pipeline explosions. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, had only hours after the Abule Ado explosion, said it occurred after a truck hit some gas cylinders in a gas processing plant located near the Corporation’s 2B pipeline right of way. Speculations are, however, rife that there could be more insidious things going on. For instance, the scale and character of the Abule Ado blast, some opine, is reminiscent of the impact of a high-powered military-level ordnance.

The above incidents are just a few of the many explosions, which have somewhat become regular occurrences in Nigeria with heavy concentration in Lagos state. Below is a timeline of recent and major pipeline explosions in the within Lagos and environs, and Nigeria:

December 5, 2019 – This explosion which took place at the Gloryland Estate, Isheri Olofin area of Lagos State, happened about a day after a gas explosion at Four Points in the Oniru part of the commercial center with about two persons burnt to death. The incident rocked the area early in the morning, causing panic among the residents.

August 30, 2019 – An Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)-operated crude trunk line exploded at the Abura crude line in Otu-Jeremi town, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State. It was gathered that as the oil pipeline exploded, it dumped crude oil into the surroundings of Otu-Jeremi community, and caused tension among residents.

June 22, 2019 – Ten persons were feared dead in a pipeline explosion in Kom Kom area of Oyigbo Local Government Area, Rivers State. A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, noted that the pipeline exploded happened during a routine maintenance work by some engineers.

July 4, 2019 – About 10 persons lost their lives with many cars burnt during the explosion after a breach of a fuel pipeline. It took place early hours of the day in the Ijegun area of Lagos and according to report, over 30 cars were burnt. The inferno was due to vandals who broke open a state-run pipeline to steal petrol.

October, 12, 2018 – On this day, nineteen people died when a pipeline exploded in Umueze community of Abia State. Eyewitnesses report indicates that the incident took place when some residents attempted to scoop fuel from a vandalized pipeline.

July 02, 2018 – A gas pipeline in Ilara near Ogijo area of Ogun State has exploded. Eyewitnesses say the explosion occurred at about 10:00 pm on Sunday and rescue officials put out the inferno.

November 08, 2016 – A blast rocked a pipeline operated by Nigeria’s state-run oil firm NNPC that feeds the Forcados terminal in the southern Niger Delta energy hub, a community leader and security source said.

June 09, 2016 – An explosion rocked a pipeline operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) at Sanomi Creek, in the Ogidigben area of Warri South West, Delta State, Nigeria. A security official and a community leader in the restive Niger Delta told reporters that the pipeline exploded around 8 p.m. local time but no death recorded.

March 29, 2016 – According to an environmental group, Environmental Rights Action (ERA), three persons died with many injured as an oil pipeline blew up. The blast happened as repair works were going on.

May 18th, 2014 – About seven people died and scores of others severely injured in an explosion at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) jetty, in Okrika, Rivers State. The explosion, which was allegedly caused by petroleum product thieves, happened on Sunday, May 18.

January 12, 2013 – At least three people have been killed after an NNPC pipeline was gutted by fire at Arepo, Ogun state south west Nigeria.

May 15, 2008 – According to the Red Cross, an incident caused by a damaged pipeline in Lagos State, killed about 100.

December 26, 2007 – More than 45 persons were burnt to death during this explosion which took place in Lagos State on this day.

December 26, 2006 – According to the Red Cross, about 500 persons died in another explosion at Abule Egba in Lagos State, on this day. The victims were stealing fuel from a buried pipeline which later caught fire.

May 12, 2006 – The Inagbe Beach pipeline explosion in Lagos state led to the death of over 250 people.

September 17, 2004 – The explosion killed over 20 persons following attempts by thieves to steal petroleum meant for the NNPC in Lagos State.

June 19, 2003 – This explosion took place in Umuahia, the Abia State capital after an oil pipeline was punctured by thieves. It killed 125 persons.

November 30, 2000 – Caused by a leaking oil products pipeline which caught fire in Ebute Metta, Lagos, the incident took not less than 60 lives.

July 10, 2000 – This incident took place near Jesse in Delta State after a pipeline exploded.

About 250 persons were killed as the fire went out of control.

In government’s response to the these deadly and unfortunate incidents, pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft had been severally blamed. However, the Nigerian government accepted and attributed these criminal acts to poverty in surrounding communities, community-industry expectation mismatch, and corruption.

And what is government doing in curbing such these acts and preventing future re-occurrence of explosions? According to the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari,, measures like collaboration, implementation of Global Memoranda of Understanding (GMoUs), and deployment of technologies are reducing the incidents around pipelines.

Kyari added that security architecture with single accountability for national critical infrastructure; industry and regulatory commitment to transparent crude oil and product accounting are some of the measures taken by the government to curb the menace. Other measures that can be taken are realistic expectations by host communities and emplacement of sustainable social investment mechanism among others.

What needs to be done: Kyari, who made this known at the inaugural Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Policy Dialogue, said there’s also need for integrity and transparency in the government as regards pipeline security, as well as policy review and enforcement of legal actions on economic saboteurs.

Nigerians are not convinced as they wait with bated breath on when the next breaking news of pipeline explosion will hit the headlines.