AT LEAST 30 suspected vandals perished in a petroleum pipeline fire at Arepo Village in Ogun early Saturday, according to police sources.
Mr. Friday Ibadin, an assistant commissioner for police who heads a special task force on pipeline vandalism confirmed the casualty figures to the media in Lagos.
According to him, an explosion was heard at about 2am in the morning, prompting a team of policemen led by a sector commander in Lagos, DSP Onaghise Osayande, to head out to the location, whereupon they cordoned off the area.
Mr. Ibadin said that the fire was caused by suspected vandals, who allegedly ferried across to the creeks to siphon petroleum products from a ruptured NNPC pipeline.
“Our preliminary investigation reveals that the fire was sparked off by vandals, who were arguing over who was eligible to fetch from the ruptured pipeline. It was in the heat of the argument that one of them accidentally released a bullet that led to several explosions,” he said.
“However, operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism Unit, Force Headquarters Annex, Lagos, who were on patrol rushed to the scene to avert further disaster.
“It was in the process that they arrested a medical doctor and one of the survivors on their way to the hospital in a jeep (sport utility vehicle). The doctor was alleged to be smuggling one of the survivors, who happens to be a vandal, to his private clinic for treatment.
In the course of interrogation, we discovered that the survivor was one of those who allegedly participated in the killing of three NNPC officials in 2012 at same area,’’ Ibadin said.
ACP Ibadin said fire fighters were still trying to contain the fire. He assured that the police would provide adequate security in the area. He said security agencies were on the trail of other suspected vandals at the scene.
According to him, one of the suspects arrested told police that many of his mates were killed in the explosion, while others injured might still be alive and injured in the creeks.
Ibadin narrated the suspect’s account of the incident and how his mother reportedly called in a doctor to treat his wounds. “He claimed he was in his house, when one Suleiman, his friend, called him that there was a job at Arepo creeks. “He asked him to look for a canoe and come with as many gallons of jerry-cans. Shortly after he arrived, he saw argument among the vandals and some began to fight before hearing a gunshot that triggered the explosion.
Also, the Ogun State command of the National Security and Civil Defense Corps issued a statement on Saturday, saying that the fire was first noticed late on Friday by the command’s surveillance team.
“We received an earlier call by the same surveillance team of suspicious movement around the water ways. Our combat team was on their way at about 22.15 hours when the outbreak occurred.
“The team was instructed to move in by Commandant Aboluwoye Akinwande for possible arrest and to put the situation under control,” the statement said.
It said no arrest was made in connection with the incident as the vandals fled the scene upon the arrival of the team. According to the statement, the commandant of the NSCDC in the area had the visited the scene of the incident and advised NNPC to stop supply of petroleum products through the Arepo route.
It would be the second time in the last few months that a petroleum pipeline in the area has been vandalized, the most recent case being on August 30 last year.