Fire Engulfs Five Illegal Oil Tankers

Barely eight days after the petrol tanker fire incident that claimed the lives of over 100 persons who went to scoop fuel, at Okogbe in Ahoada-West Local Government Area of Rivers State, five trucks loaded with petrol caught fire at Eneka Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area last Friday.

No casualty, however, was recorded during the incident.

An eye-witness told The Tide that some people were scooping diesel from the tankers even while on fire.

Our correspondent gathered that men of the Joint Military Taskforce code-named ‘Operation Pulo Shield’ on operation arrested a tanker for alleged illegal oil bunkering at a pipeline within Eneka community.

According to the sources, “we just saw a Hillux Van and one other white bus with men in army uniform, they drove to the place, so, the next thing we saw was fire from the tanker.”

A member of the Police Public Relations Committee in the area, Mr. Nelson Ijeoma confirmed the involvement of the JTF in the tanker operation.

He said, “yesterday, the JTF tried to arrest one of the tankers but the guys ran away, so the JTF set the first tanker ablaze and you know, this is a pipeline. The pipeline is on the other direction and as the tanker was coming out and got stocked, so the JTF just came out and arrested them and a tanker with crude oil inside.”

Men of the fire service, the sources said, eventually arrived the scene to put off the fire.

One of the people who were seen scooping diesel from the tankers said it was due to hardship despite the danger involved, stressing, “we don’t have job, so when we see this kind of opportunity, we have to go in whether life or death”.

Another said: ‘We don’t have work and I am looking for work and as I have seen this one now, I will not go anywhere again, I will find a way to get a little thing. If I get 20 litres, I will use it to help myself”.

Army Public Relations Officer, Capt. Sunday Samuel told The Tide that the JTF was in an operation against illegal bunkering.

Similarly, a fire outbreak at Abuloma jetty on Friday claimed 11 lives while two persons narrowly escaped.

The fire was caused by a fire that sparked from welding work on a vessel at the jetty. Men of the fire service battled for hours to put off the five while men of the Nigerian Police Command cordoned off the area to allow for rescue operations.

Shedie Okpara