Only a week after a powerful explosion rocked the Trans Niger Pipeline at Bodo, Gokana Local Government of Rivers State, another explosion rocked the Soku oil complex in Akuku Toru Local Government Area.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) verified the explosion on Sunday, from reports by its network of youth volunteers across the Niger Delta.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, the group described the scope of the incident:
“A fireball followed by an explosion was heard and seen in the sky from the location of the facility, which is difficult to reach. The fire is still blazing at the time of this report.”
The Soku oil facility operated by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited remains in the dark about the cause of the explosion. There is speculation about possible equipment failure, sabotage, or a deliberate attack.
This is the third explosion in oil plants within a week in Rivers State. The first was in Ogoni, and the second occurred in Oga/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area. The Oga explosion was referenced in the March 18 national address by President Bola Tinubu when he declared a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State.
As part of the emergency measures, President Tinubu suspended the Rivers State House of Assembly, Deputy Governor, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara on the basis of the governor’s alleged inability to protect oil infrastructure. The measures followed threats made by some youths in a viral video against the impeachment of Fubara.
YEAC-Nigeria has demanded an immediate probe of the Soku explosion. The group called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to determine what led to the explosion and who must be held liable.
“Those behind this crime must be held to account under the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021,” the statement concluded.
