Buhari blames deadly Abia pipeline explosion on vandals

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has expressed regrets over what he said was the unnecessary loss of lives and property as a result of the pipeline explosion in the Osisioma Ngwa community of Abia State on Friday morning, sympathising with those who lost loved ones.

According to a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Saturday in Abuja, preliminary reports by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) showed that the incident was not an accidental explosion, but a result of vandals who pilloried the pipelines to scoop the products.

It added: “Despite repeated warnings, these unscrupulous people have vandalised that particular pipeline 684 times in the last six months alone. Each time the pipeline is repaired, they resume their activities, even collaborating with security agents, who are reported to have set up toll gates collecting fees from the vandals. A fight broke out as a heist was going on and there was shooting, which is believed to have ignited Friday morning’s explosion, during which three security personnel also lost their lives.”

President Buhari urged communities and state governments that host oil pipelines to be more vigilant and rise to combat the challenge posed by pipeline vandalism.

ALSO READ: Witness illness stalls Suswam’s trial over N3.1bn alleged fraud

The statement informed that the Enugu depot of the NNPC had been repaired and ready to function, “but remains idle today because of the vandals.”

The president also appealed to host communities to collaborate with the NNPC to tame oil pipeline vandalism in their areas.