Pipeline explosion on Thursday burnt two persons to death and left at least 21 others with varying injuries at Ijegun, a Lagos community.
The explosion was said to have started around 4 am following activities of pipeline vandals notorious for siphoning Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline that runs through the community from ATLAS COVE.
Over 30 vehicles including commercial buses, tricycles and saloon cars as well as scores of lock-up shops were completely ravaged by the inferno that was still raging as at 3 pm.
Among those injured were three families on Catholic Mission Street who residents said the fire gutted in their homes. A man, Shakiru Adeboye, his wife Taiwo and children Asisat and Taiwo were said to have been seriously burnt and rushed to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
Similarly, one Shakiru Modiu, a resident of 7, Catholic Mission Street, his children, Idiat, Fatilat, Jumoke Oyekansola, Zainab and Jemila and twin grandchildren Kehinde and Taiwo were burnt while they were in front of their residence.
Others affected, our Correspondent gathered were Amida Afolabi, his wife Fatiu and children Rilwan and Monrouf as well as one Nnabueze Emerukwa, 52.
The fire which followed the trail of spilt PMS in drainage channels escalated to about seven streets in the neighbourhood including Fatade, Irede, Fire Junction, Rufai Ashimiu, Catholic Mission Street and Ijegun Last Bus Stop by community stream.
According to residents, the deceased persons whose identities were yet to be ascertained attempted to scale a fence on Catholic Mission Street before they got trapped in the inferno.
They were said to have fallen into a nearby gutter that was already soaked in PMS almost at the same time a man drove close to the scene and fire sparked.
While the deceased were moved to Mainland Hospital Mortuary in Yaba, the injured were taken to Igando General Hospital, Burns and Trauma Centre in Gbagada and LASUTH.
There were however conflicting reports on the cause of the explosion at the pipeline with some alleging that it occurred following gunshots fired by officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Police Special Taskforce on Petroleum charged with the responsibility of securing the pipelines.
Some residents alleged that the security operatives had fired gunshots on a tanker which was being loaded by the vandals and abandoned as soon as they sighted them. According to the residents, the shots fired caused the tanker to explode which escalated to the pipeline and the drainages.
One Steve Zeo accused security operatives of causing the outbreak by firing gunshots while chasing the vandals.
He claimed it was bullets fired at the tanker which was being loaded that caused the inferno, asking why the operatives fired gunshots?
A resident who identified himself as Damian said the explosion occurred after the last gunshot wound he heard, adding “there was fire everywhere.”
But another account stated that the vandals while fleeing from the spot upon sighting security agents left the valves open and this caused petrol to flow across the streets into drainages which they allegedly ignited as they fled.
A school proprietor at Rafiu Ashimiu Felix Ahaneku who said his home was directly behind the point the fire started, told our Correspondent that he started hearing noise around 3am.
He said: “The noise started around 3am. At first, we thought it was normal street fighting. But in no time, we started hearing gunshots and soon afterwards, electricity was restored.
“All of a sudden, things were moving like water, making the noise of flood. Then, people started shouting that it was fuel and there were footsteps. This was around 5 am. I came out and we saw fire. People started running shelter scatter. A lot of people ran out naked.”
Another resident who refused to be named said the vandals had loaded about four tankers, adding that they came to the place around 1 am.
He claimed it was the fifth one they were loading when security operatives stormed the place, adding that a sixth tanker marked Abuja RSH208ZZ which they planned to load was abandoned inside Ijegun Road by the vandals.
“Come and see the tanker. This is where they abandoned it. This thing happens here almost daily and it is a shame that the security agencies especially the NSCDC isn’t doing anything to stop it. The NSCDC and the police cannot claim they do not know about this criminality.
“These vandals were here from 1am and they have loaded about four trucks. It was the fifth one they were doing before they had issues. The government needs to do something about this issue. We are tired of recurring fire outbreaks and the dangers were are subjected to as a result of activities of vandals,” he said.
At the scene where the abandoned tanker was, our Correspondent observed the tanker had two number plates Abuja RSH208ZZ and Lagos RSH208ZZ, an indication the driver was not ignorant of his exploit.
There was also a heated argument between operatives of the Police Special Taskforce on Petroleum and the NSCDC over who will recover the tanker with officers of the latter threatening to shoot the policemen if they dared move the tanker.
Chairman Tanker Drivers Association, Ejigbo Depot, Alhaji Morouf Akani who was also at the scene and was invited by the warring factions to mediate said he cannot decide for them since he was a civilian.
He told our Correspondent in an aside interview that he did not trust either of the parties, appealing that there should be proper investigation into the case.
Akani said: “An NSCDC official called me around past 4 am that there was vandalism at the Ijegun pipeline and they needed me to help them look for a driver. When I got here, there was already fire and the place was already rowdy and no one could tell who was who.
Read Also: PHOTOS: Ghastly fire scenes at Ijegun explosion
“Later, someone informed me that there was a tanker parked here and I called the security operatives to notify them about the tanker. NSCDC said they will carry it, Police said they will carry it.
“I am a civilian and I cannot dictate for them. Residents of the neighbourhood have been trying to broker peace among them. My position is that whoever carried the tanker among them should do a proper investigation. They should handle the case well.
“Vandals have been doing it mostly in this Ijegun axis to Ikotun and it is getting too much. They did not arrest anybody and that is why I said I do not trust any of them because this vehicle cannot drive itself here. The vehicle is not loading in my depot.”
Meanwhile, a woman, Mrs. Esther Afolayan who lost two shops to the fire could not control her tears as she lamented that they were her only sources of livelihood.
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