Story by Bose Adelaja

Pipeline explosion has claimed many lives and damaged property which monetary value cannot be quantified. For instance, the Abule-Egba tragedy of year 2006 and that of Ijegun in year 2008 left many families reeling in endless throes of pains and agonies.

Afraid of becoming the next victims of pipeline explosion, some residents of Isheri-Olofin, a community in Idimu-Isheri Olofin Local Council Development Area (LCDA), have fled their houses to seek shelter in neighbouring communities.

Their fear was heightened following the discovery that attempt to pump water from the ground for domestic use resulted in the gushing out of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol. The discovery was first made by occupants of some plots in a particular section of the estate’s Phase Two about two years ago.

The occupants had initially thought the petrol which was in small quantity but very visible in the water would eventually stop. But alas, it did not. Rather, the quantity increased significantly and posed a grave danger to them as they feared any careless spark may ignite an explosion.

Apart from that, an explosion was recorded along the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC pipelines while incidents of pipe line vandalisation have taken place there in the past few months.

Vanguard Metro’s recent visit to the community revealed that government and corporate organisations will need to intervene urgently in order to avert a major disaster in Isheri-Olofin, especially in the light of what some of the residents have tagged “accommodation problems”.

Apart from the fact that there are NNPC pipelines running through this community, some of the residents have their structures erected under the power line areas, while others are only few metres away from the NNPC pipelines.

Vanguard Metro also took note of a warning notice thus: “Petroleum product pipeline. No excavation, no erection of any structure”. Residents also ignored a ‘beware of fire’ warning placed in different locations by the NNPC as some of them chose to live too close to the pipeline areas while the power line areas have been sold by land speculators popularly called Omo-Oniles.

Some of the residents who spoke with this reporter said although the discovery of petrol triggered off fear but with the gross accommodation problem in Lagos, they had no choice but to risk staying there.

They also said government should not blame them for pipeline vandalisation as the act could not take place without the knowledge of NNPC officials.

A community leader who simply gave his name as Baba Onile claimed the pipeline leakages in the community was deliberately caused by some NNPC officials in order to reap from the development. “The community has reported cases of pipeline leakages without any response from NNPC and government. All they do is to come here with excavators and dig every part of the community without spotting the particular areas where leakages occur,” he said.

When Vanguard Metro visited the Power line and Iyana-Odo areas of the community, NNPC officials were seen working to offer palliative measures in the community. But the residents are not impressed, saying the effort would be a fruitless one. “By now, their machine should been able to reveal where there are leakages in the community. It’s like they enjoy digging up everywhere. But at the end of the day, they will go away without offering any solution. We specifically told them where they can detect the fault but they ignored us and now, their effort is fruitless,’‘ said Mr. Andrew Ajomale.

Asked why some of them have erected structures near the pipe lines and they said: ‘’We have no alternative; explosion does not happen until the pipeline is tampered with and only the NNPC officials know where the pipes are buried. They are the ones scheming to cause vandalisations. Residents are only looking for where to lay their heads and if the NNPC stakeholders do not show them the way, it will be difficult for them to perpetuate the act,” Mama Cornelius told Vanguard Metro.

Some NNPC officials at the site who spoke to Vanguard Metro on condition of anonymity said they have been sent to carry an excavation at the site. “You can see that the caterpillars are busy excavating, you can see things for yourself,” they chorused.