Lagos partners NNPC to secure pipelines

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat on Tuesday called for collaboration among the relevant stakeholders on how to end the incessant vandalisation of pipelines in the state.

Speaking at the Abule-Egba scene of pipeline explosion, the Deputy Governor, accompanied by some state officials, said such collaboration has become imperative, in view of lost lives and properties occasioned by the handiwork of vandals, whose activities can bring tears and sorrows to the people.

According to him, Lagos State Government, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and relevant security agencies must put in place, measures that would deter these criminals from perpetuating their evils.

Hamzat, who described the fire incident as ”very unfortunate development”, assured that government would fish out the perpetrators of the evil act, and punish them according to the laws of the land.

Read Also: Two feared dead in Lagos pipeline fire

While expressing his displeasure on act of vandalism, he called on the residents to be more vigilant by reporting any suspected moves by the vandals to the appropriate authorities before they carry out their evil acts.

”Endeavour to call security people on any of free toll emergency numbers for appropriate responses to forestall any form of vandalisation of our infrastructure. We need the help of the community to provide information, the people doing these evil acts are not ghosts, they are human beings and can be caught. We must apprehend them. We will work with security operatives to catch them and make examples,” he said.

While commiserating with the victims, Hamzat said the state government would meet with the families who are affected by the inferno and see what can be done to ameliorate their losses, adding that government will support the community in whatever they are doing to ensure the safety of their lives and properties.

Briefing the Deputy Governor during the assessment, the Chairman of Agbado-Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Augustine Arogundade said the explosion was as a result of vandalisation of the NNPC pipeline by vandals.

He called on the NNPC to institute a taskforce to monitor and police the pipeline against vandalism.

Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA) Director of Operations, Olatunde Akinsanya said the agency had commenced holistic enumeration to ascertain the impact of the fire outbreak in collaboration with the Agbado-Oke-Odo LCDA to know the number of people and families displaced as well as property lost.