- Atiku, Sanwo-Olu offer condolences
The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, on Monday visited the scene of the Abule-Egba pipeline explosion.
NNPC said Kyari was in Abule-Egba “for on-the-spot assessment of the scene of yesterday’s unfortunate pipeline explosion.”
The explosion, which happened on Sunday night, left three persons dead, while many trucks and houses were burnt.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said the explosion was as a result of a vandalised NNPC pipeline in the area.
Early reports indicated scores of persons were severely injured.
Reports also said the fire broke out at Ile-Epo Bus Stop along Abeokuta Expressway, spreading to nearby Abule Egba before another explosion was heard in Fagba and Ekoro Road — all densely populated suburbs north of Lagos but several kilometres apart.
A similar explosion in December 2006 killed hundreds of people in Abule Egba. Another explosion occurred in December 2018 in the same neighbourhood, but with fewer casualties.
Also on December 5, last year, some suspected pipeline vandals disrupted the Atlas Cove-Mosinmi Pipeline, part of the System 2B Pipeline at Peace Estate, Varies, in Idimu axis of the State.
Former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu expressed their condolences to the families of the victims.
Sanwo-Olu said through his Twitter handle: “My thoughts and prayers are with the families and businesses affected in the unfortunate incident at Abule Egba.”
The governor thanked LASEMA officials for their bravery and the Lagos fire service for responding swiftly and also working all night to reduce the impact of the incident.
Atiku Abubakar wrote: My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost a dear one in the pipeline explosion at Ile Epo around the Abule Egba area of Lagos in which scores of property were also destroyed.
Meanwhile, the fire has been put out.
According to the Lagos State government: “After several hours of intense fire fighting by the combined teams of Lagos fire and other agencies, the fire at Ile Epo Ekoro Road, Abule-Egba Inwards Baruwa in Alimosho Local Government Area was successfully put out,” the government twitted at 10.46 am on Monday.