A fire has erupted on a gas pipeline along the Soku-Abua-Rumuji right-of-way in Rivers State.
This incident follows another fire on the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area, which occurred less than a week ago.
In a statement on Sunday, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) referred to the fire as an explosion at the Soku gas facility in Akuku Toru Local Government Area, amplifying concerns regarding the security of oil infrastructure in the region.
The grassroots NGO, active in the Niger Delta, reported that youth volunteers raised the alarm after hearing a loud blast and witnessing fireballs erupting from the Soku facility, which is operated by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited.
“The explosion was accompanied by fireballs, which could be seen rising from the facility,” stated YEAC-Nigeria in a release signed by its Executive Director, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface.
“The fire is still ongoing at the time of this report,” the statement noted.
However, Mr. Witness Alasia, General Secretary of the community, has denied reports of an explosion at the facility.
Speaking on behalf of the community leadership, Alasia refuted these claims, saying, “It is disheartening and worrisome that people would deliberately mislead the public with a baseless and false narrative. The Soku Gas Plant is safe and in perfect working order.”
He did confirm, however, a fire outbreak along the Soku-Abua-Rumuji gas pipeline right-of-way, noting that the cause remains unknown.
According to him, the company has yet to release any information regarding the incident.
This marks the third fire incident in oil-rich Rivers State within a week, raising serious alarms about the security of oil infrastructure in the region.
The first explosion occurred in Ogoni, followed by another in Oga/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.
These incidents were addressed by President Bola Tinubu in his nationwide broadcast on March 18, during which he declared a six-month emergency rule in Rivers State, partly due to the ongoing threat to the region’s oil infrastructure.
In response to these security breaches, the President suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, citing the governor’s inability to protect oil facilities.
YEAC-Nigeria has called for an immediate investigation into the Soku incident, urging the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to uncover the cause of the incident and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
“Perpetrators of this crime must be held accountable in accordance with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021,” YEAC-Nigeria stated.
Attempts to contact the Rivers State Police Command’s Spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, for comment were unsuccessful. She requested that inquiries be sent via text, citing her busy schedule.
However, she had not responded to the message at the time of filing this report.
