Pipeline fire: Vandals chase NEMA officials, others away from rescue operation

By Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta  

 

Scene of the fire

It was hell let loose yesterday in Arepo  Village as jungle boys, popularly called pipeline vandals, in their tens battled a team of officials of the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), Federal Fire Service and National Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) in a desperate bid to prevent them from carrying out rescue and intervention operations at the scene of pipeline explosion.

The NPPC pipelines that criss - crossed the village had gone up in flame on Thursday evening following attempt by vandals to siphon petroleum products from the parts of the pipes they ruptured.

But yesterday attempt by the NEMA, NSCDC and   NNPC officials to move to the scene for rescue operation was resisted by the vandals who emerged from their hideouts and chased the officials away. 

It was learnt that the vandals were still labouring to steal fuel from the attacked pipelines when the officials  were sailing on boats. 

The vandals, armed with objects capable of inflicting harm on targets, warned the officials  not to advance to the scene of the fire.

Frightened, the team scurried  out of the area to save their lives, it was gathered.

The NEMA Information Officer, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, told journalists that they were at the scene to recover dead bodies and secure the area but rued that the vandals prevented them.

“Our intention was to evacuate bodies and to help    extinguish the fire that has been burning since yesterday.

“But as you can see, the vandals had refused to allow us perform our work. We are even lucky to be alive, but we have contacted the military men and they are on their way. 

“We don’t want the bodies to decompose and pollute the environment.

“The remains from the bodies will spill into the surrounding stream and people drinking the water or using it for domestic purposes will definitely be at risk,” he said.

According to Farinoye, the Director-General of the NEMA, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Sidi, has requested for deployment of amphibious military personnel to flush out the vandals.

Also Mr. Olawale Bilwu, who led the Ogun firefighters, said that it was unfortunate that vandals had interrupted the operations of his men.

The fire, according to him, would be extinguished in less than two hours, if the fighters could find their way to the scene.

SOURCE: 1 September 2012.