BY Samuel Oyadongha

Yenagoa-Obama flow line (Tereke), owned by Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, was, Monday, rocked by explosion. Security forces, it was learnt, think the explosion might have been an act of sabotage by unknown youths.

Although the immediate cause of the explosion at the NAOC facility, which triggered pandemonium in the sleepy Okoroma-Tereke community, could not be ascertained, sources said the explosion only caused minor damage to the facility, which is part of the Obama-Brass line.

The energy firm, in a response to inquiry over the incident, said it had moved in personnel to effect repair on the damaged part of the flow station and plans no force majeure.

The group said: “We do not plan to introduce any force majeure on its oil export after the small incident at the pipeline, which is part of Obama-Brass line. It is a very small incident. No force majeure is expected. Works to repair the damage will be completed in the next few hours.”

However, sources in the area said the pipeline had been leaking oil into the creeks.

A security source at the Joint Task Force head-quarters said information on the incident was sketchy but that some of its personnel stationed in Brass Local Government Area may have moved into the scene to inquire and confirm the incident.

Some aggrieved youths, it will be recalled, had threatened to return to the creeks and sabotage the nation’s oil industry in the wake of what they described as the alleged refusal of the Federal Government to commence the third phase of the amnesty programme.