As the death toll continues to rise in the KomKom pipeline fire in Oyigbo Local government area of Rivers State, the Ogoni Youth Federation has blamed the Nigeria National petroleum corporation, NNPC, for Negligence over the pipeline Explosion.
The youth body in a statement by its president, Engr. Yamaabana Legbosi, said the incident is purely a consequence of the negligence by the NNPC as there were leakages detected before the inferno, and despite several calls to the NNPC and PPMC, there were no reasons for the neglect which led to the tragedy.
“The incident was completely avoidable.
“Our independent investigation revealed that scores of Ogoni indigenes from Boue, Zaakpon, Ban-ogoi, Taabaa kingdom, Sogho and Nyokuru Communities who were palm wine tapers were also victims of the inferno.
“OYF shall carry out estimation and valuation of lives and properties lost in the avoidable incident and support the community and relatives of victims to take legal action against NNPC on this matter,” he said.
Meanwhile, Eyewitnesses have blamed personnel of Afam Police Station for the explosion of the pipeline which led to the death of at least 50 people in KomKom, Oyigbo.
It was gathered that the Afam Police Division Patrol Team fired gunshots into the pipeline over failed negotiation for bribe with people scooping petroleum products from the leaking pipeline.
A community leader said police officers stormed the scene of the incident on Saturday morning: “in their van to collect money from the people they saw scooping fuel from the leaking pipe.
He added: “But a few minutes later, the explosion occured after we heard gunshots. Those who escaped unhurt said the police caused it.”
“This is not the first time these people from the Afam police station cause problems in this area.”
Another chief who did not want to be named said police shot directly to the site before the explosion erupted.
“Early that morning, I saw people and a police van moving into the swamp where the pipeline is. So I called my security to go find out what they were doing.”
“About 40 minutes later I heard sounds of gunfire and later, the explosion. When he returned, he told me that the policemen fired gunshots directly at the people scooping fuel. Other people I met testified the same,”.
Friday Orlu, an eyewitness, said: “A police patrol van was seized by the youth after the incident because they fired directly at the crowd scooping fuel and that was when the fire started.”
“These people have caused a lot of pain in this Oyigbo, from extortion, illegal arrest, to cause of deaths. I was there, Instead of chasing the people away, they began to negotiate and collect money to the point of shooting into the pipeline to kill people.
“No less than 50 people have lost their lives because of these criminal-minded policemen.”
