•Four injured in NNPC outlet fire
THERE was panic yesterday in Isheri Osun, on the outskirts of Lagos, following oil spill from some vandalised Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines.
One of the pipelines was said to have spilled oil because the vandals did not ‘’properly lock its valves’’ after their operation
The vandals, it was said, loaded about six tankers, before they fled.
Residents said there was a strong smell of petrol in the air around 1:30am.
“People started screaming and waking others up. The whole place smelt of petrol. That was how we woke up and discovered that even farms, canals and drainages were filled with fuel,” said a resident, Baba Lajo.
Another resident, Alhaji Eletu said people cautioned against using candles or any other inflammable object.
He praised emergency workers for their swift response.
It was gathered that the police and officials of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) warned residents against scooping fuel.
Despite the warnings, many were seen with kegs and bucket scooping petrol from the swamps.
Alhaji said: “So many fled that night. A lot of people did not sleep here. But other residents seized the moment and started scooping petrol. I do not know why they did it but I am afraid that could cause fire outbreak. The government needs to do something about the scooping. We haven’t had a situation like this since the pipeline explosion at Ijegun. We have been living peacefully. I really do not know if the vandals have been coming before now. But this time around, they did not close the pipe well. That was what happened. The petrol flowed into many streets including Okemuye, Bajile, Pipeline, Ayowale and Celeje. People were asked not to light fire. I want to believe no one has cooked in the neighbourhood.”
Also yesterday, four men were injured when fire razed an NNPC filling station in Ikoyi.
It was gathered that the incident occurred around 4am.
According to sources, the ground tank containing diesel exploded twice, injuring the four workers, who were asleep.
LASEMA General Manager Adesina Tiamiyu said both scenes had been cordoned off to prevent secondary incident.
“The affected areas have been cordoned off and residents sensitised on safety, fire prevention measures. Rescue and recovery operation is ongoing.
“For the Ikoyi incident, traffic control measures were emplaced and the workers tutored on how to prevent future situations.
“We advice that effective fire extinguishers be placed in strategic areas within the apartment. Filling stations should ensure people do not make calls close to dispensers and their workers should not sleep on down tanks.”