The King of Eleme, HRM Phillip Obelle, has accused a gas pipeline operator of failing to address an earlier leak warning before an explosion injured about 20 people and destroyed nearly 50 houses and shops.
Obelle made the allegation on Friday after visiting the scene of Thursday’s explosion along the Old Bori Road, blaming years of negligence and a failure to repair ageing pipeline infrastructure.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, which confirmed the explosion, said its emergency response procedures had been activated and the affected pipeline section isolated, adding that the cause of the incident and the full extent of the damage were still being assessed.
Although no deaths were reported, about 20 people sustained injuries, while homes, shops, and vehicles were damaged by the inferno. Some of the injured were taken to hospital for treatment.
Obelle dismissed suggestions that third parties had tampered with the pipeline, insisting that residents had earlier raised concerns about an unusual noise from the facility.
He alleged that a youth leader had notified the company about the problem but that its response was limited to erecting a barricade without fixing the reported fault.
“The youth president informed me some time ago that when they were passing there, they heard noise and they informed the company to come,” he said.
“They came, but instead of addressing the situation, they just put a barricade and left. Now see the result.”
He called on the Federal Government to intervene and ensure that the incident did not recur, arguing that the community had suffered the consequences of neglected infrastructure despite its contribution to the national economy.
“These pipes, it’s not that anybody tampered with them,” Obelle said. “These are pipes that have been here for a very long time due to negligence and all that. It has rusted and see what has happened here. Nobody tampered with it.”
The monarch also lamented a lack of development and employment opportunities in Eleme, alleging that residents continued to bear the burden of industrial pollution.
He expressed concern about the possible health consequences of pollution in the area, claiming that residents had suffered blindness, cancer, and other health problems, claims that were not independently verified.
“Let the Federal Government come to our aid. We are being neglected, and it’s very bad. No development, no employment, nothing, and we are the goose that lays the golden egg,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NNPC said it was working with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, security agencies, and other stakeholders to coordinate the emergency response and assess the impact on residents, property, and the environment.
In a statement issued on Friday, the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, said the affected pipeline belonged to the NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company Limited, a subsidiary of NNPC Limited.
“We are deeply concerned by reports of injuries and damage to homes and businesses. Our thoughts are with those affected and their families. Protecting lives and preventing further harm are our immediate priorities,” he said.
The company said it was also engaging community leaders to establish residents’ immediate needs and coordinate support for those affected.
It added that relevant operational records, including previous reports and actions taken, would be reviewed to establish the circumstances surrounding the explosion and determine appropriate corrective measures.
The NNPC urged residents to stay away from the affected area and comply with safety instructions issued by emergency responders and relevant authorities.
The Eleme Local Government Council also called for urgent intervention by government agencies and the operating company following reports of an oil spill along the Old Bori Road.
In a statement issued by the media aide to the council chairman, Ate Chinwi, the council said its chairman, Chief Obarilomate Ollor, had called for the affected facility to be shut down where necessary and for immediate containment measures to prevent further damage to lives and the environment.
The council advised residents living near the pipeline corridor to relocate temporarily to safer areas and urged road users to take alternative routes until the area was declared safe.
It said a joint investigation would be conducted to establish the cause and extent of the incident and determine the appropriate response, adding that sanctions would be sought against any parties found culpable.
Residents and business owners affected by the explosion appealed to the government to provide urgent assistance to help them recover their losses and return to their homes and businesses.
One resident, who said she witnessed the explosion, described the force of the blast as terrifying.
“I witnessed it live because I was not too far. This kind of thing should not happen again. Let the government do something. I have been crying because I thought it was an earthquake.”
Another resident said the explosion threw people to the ground, forcing residents and traders to flee their homes and businesses.
“We left our houses and shops and ran. We lost stuff, but thank God we didn’t hear that anybody died,” he said.