Yemi Obafemi
Residents of Omoku town in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Council of Rivers State were forced to flee their homes as gas pipeline ruptured.
It was gathered that the leakage occurred on Saturday, beside Grace Orphanage Home, off Egbada Road in Omoku main town.
It was alleged that the leakage was caused by equipment failure, installed by Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) in the early 1960s.
The leader of Voice of Freedom, Evaristus Nicholas, while confirming the incident said, the pipeline explosion was caused by corrosion and gas fumes are in the air adding that if the ruptured pipeline is not replace immediately with new one it will lead to explosion.
He said: “The ruptured pipeline is yet to be clamped by Agip or Oando as we speak. Gas fumes are in the air. The pipeline explosion was caused by corrosion, no casualty has been recorded so far.
“These pipelines are old, they were laid in the early 1960s when Agip came to Onelga.
“Now that Oando Plc has acquired Agip, Oando should start thinking of replacing these obsolete pipelines with new ones, otherwise more explosions like these will be recorded.”
