No fewer than five suspected vandals perished on Wednesday during a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation's pipeline explosion at the Arepo area, in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
According to Punch Metro, about 5 suspected vandals encountered their waterloo on Wednesday, 22nd of July after they were burnt to death during a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC’s pipeline explosion at the Arepo area, in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Punch correspondent reported that the fire started at 1am and killed the vandals who came to steal fuel. There has been conflicting reports on the cause of the fire. Some artibuted it to a fight between two competing vandal groups who started a fight at the scene of the explosion. Another party also traced the fire to the various attempts made by the vandals to start one of their boats after loading it with jerry cans of fuel which led to a fire spark.
The fierce fire was reportedly still burning till 10am as at the time pressmen visited the area.
Punch correspondent was told that the NNPC officials, policemen attached to the Inspector General of Police Anti-Pipeline Vandalism team, and soldiers had tried in vain to put out the fire.
"While at the scene, our correspondent saw a vandals’ speedboat, conveying about 12 persons, passing on the waterway" They said.
A security man in the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the corpses he sighted on the water were five persons, while several other people suffered burns.
He said, “Around 1am, we heard the noise of the explosion as the fire started. Thick smokes billowed from the river area. No one could move near because we knew the vandals, who were armed with weapons, would be lurking around.
“We learnt that the men, who came on Tuesday evening, loaded their speedboats with the product till the early hours of Wednesday. They were getting ready to move out of the area when the fire started.
“It was started by a spark in one of the speedboats. We heard cries from the scene as the vandals battled with the fire. By morning when soldiers, policemen and other security officials arrived, no fewer than five of the vandals had died and floated on the water.”
The Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Emmanuel Ojukwu, said the police were ongoing with rescue operations in the area