There was confusion on Saturday at Alapata community in Ido Local Government area of Oyo State when petroleum pipeline belonging to Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation exploded and burst into flames.
The explosion on Saturday, along Apete-Akufo road, was the second in the council in less than two weeks.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency, South-West, the pipeline explosion in Ibadan happened around 9.06pm.
Information Officer, NEMA, South-West, Ibrahim Farinloye, said, “The fire started around 9:06pm. NEMA immediately signalled to NNPC to shut down supplies so as to suffocate product flow to curb the intensity of the fire.”
“Happily, the incidence did not threaten human safety. NNPC engineers and fire fighters are making attempts to quench the fire”.
During our correspondent’s visit to the scene fire fighters, NNPC officials, men of the anti-vandalisation squad of the NSCDC, the Police and the State Security Service were battling to put out the fire on the valve pit.
The hose used by vandals to scoop the product was seen near the valve pit.
It was learnt that the explosion occurred as a result of activities of the vandals.
A resident of the community, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said petroleum product was flowing into the stream in the area.
A farmer, Alhaji Fatai Ayilara, said, “Security operatives had been put on notice when some strange movements were noticed around the pit on Wednesday.
“We suspected some strange movements around this area since Wednesday and we informed the security. About eight of them came around and we went round. On Friday, I observed that the valve pit had been tempered with”.
