News
FG Orders Probe Into PH Gas Pipeline Explosion …Buhari, PDP Condole RSG …Death Toll Hits 10
President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with the people and government of Rivers State following the death of some workers in a gas pipeline tragedy in the state.
The president, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu in Abuja, last Saturday, also condoled with the families of the victims.
Buhari said he was extremely pained by the loss of lives as a result of the incident.
He, therefore, asked for “a thorough investigation to determine what is responsible for the gas pipeline tragedy in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State in which several fatalities were reported”.
The gas tragedy reportedly occurred at Kom Kom community of Oyigbo Local Government Area, last Saturday, when workers were fixing a faulty section of the pipeline.
Similarly, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus has condoled with the people of Kom Kom in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State over the loss of lives following the gas pipeline explosion which killed dozens of citizens in the area.
In a statement signed by his spokesman, Ike Abonyi, in Abuja, yesterday, Secondus said, “Our hearts are with you at this trying time”.
Secondus lamented the incessant hazard the people of the Niger Delta were facing due to the neglect and insensitivity of the Federal Government to listen to the cries of the people.
He also commiserated with victims of the senseless killings in Zamfara and other states in North-West and North-East zones.
The opposition leader charged the relevant authorities, including the oil and gas companies to show some sensitivity to the plight of the people of the Niger Delta on the hazards they were exposed to as a result of exploration of their God-given natural resources in their area.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 10 persons have reportedly lost their lives in the pipeline explosion that occurred in Rivers State, last Saturday.
The Tide learnt that the oil facility was installed by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and to supply gas feedstock to the Afam Gas Plant and the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) facility in Bonny Island.
But, Shell spokesman, Bamidele Odugbesan, told newsmen, last Saturday, that there was no record of any explosion on SPDC facility in Oyigbo.
A resident of the area, Jude Nwanma, said residents of Izuoma, where the incident occurred, woke up to a thunderous explosion from a pipeline that criss-crossed the area.
Nwanma said more than 10 persons might have lost their lives in the explosion.
He said the explosion caused pandemonium in the area just as residents scampered for safety.
“It was later I learned that the explosion occurred in one of the pipelines I suspect to be petrol pipeline, and that more than 10 persons lost their lives in the incident,” he said.
Another eyewitness said, “We were just waking up when we heard a very loud sound. We knew it was an explosion but did not know the kind of explosion. We later traced the tick smoke to the gas pipeline.”
The Chairman of Oyigbo Local Government Area, Hon Gerald Oforji, who confirmed the story, said that 10 persons died in the explosion.
Oforji said the bodies of the victims were recovered from the scene when the fire was put off, but added that most of the dead may not be easily identified as their bodies have been burnt beyond recognition.
He also confirmed that no house was destroyed when the explosion occurred.
The Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, also has confirmed the incident.
Omoni claimed that the incident happened when officials of Shell Petroleum Development Company, were carrying out routine maintenance of the facility in Kom Kom.
He could not confirm exact casualty figure, but added that the fire has been put out, and that normalcy has returned to the scene of the incident.
“Shell was carrying out maintenance on the pipeline when the explosion happened. Our findings indicate that some members of the community rushed to the scene to scoop the product when the explosion happened.
“I can’t tell you how many people were burnt but it was not a good sight. Our men are still at the scene,” he added.
But The Tide’s investigation reveals that no hydrocarbon could be scooped from any pipeline when there is a gas leak or explosion, as gas is a highly flammable substance.
Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has cautioned parents to closely monitor their children’s craving for cookies and gummies, warning that some of the products may contain illicit substances being smuggled into the country.
In a statement posted yesterday, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said recent seizures by the agency’s officers had revealed attempts by criminal elements to introduce prohibited substances under the guise of everyday snacks.
“As parents, if your kids and young ones always crave for cookies and gummies, you may have to pay a little more attention. There may be more to it than ordinary cookies and gummies,” Babafemi wrote, sharing images of seized packages.
The photos showed colourful pouches of “Cookies Delta 8 Gummies” in flavours such as Hawaiian Rain Pineapple Guava and Thai Mango, labelled as vegan and hemp-derived, alongside the actual gummy products.
The warning comes amid a major interception by the Nigeria Customs Service at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
Officers seized two 40-foot containers containing large quantities of cannabis-infused products concealed among legitimate imports such as used vehicles, generators, batteries and fabrics.
The consignment included thousands of Delta-8 cannabis pre-roll cookies, packs of cannabis-infused gummies and other cannabis-infused cookies, with a combined estimated street value of about ?373.8m.
The items were subsequently handed over to the NDLEA.
NDLEA officials described the products, which originated from the United States and were packaged to resemble ordinary vegan snacks with appealing flavours, as an emerging public health threat.
They noted that the attractive packaging could appeal especially to children, students and young people, raising the risk of accidental consumption of concentrated cannabis.
The Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) has announced plans to partner with the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) to strengthen efforts at combating illegal waste dumping and improving environmental sanitation across the state.
The partnership was unveiled during a meeting between officials of RIWAMA and the leadership of the Rivers State chapter of the PCRC in Port Harcourt, recently, where both organisations pledged to work together to restore the Garden City status of the state capital.
In his speech, the Supervisor of Market and Community Sanitation in RIWAMA, Mr. Omereji Ukoha, said the collaboration was in line with the vision of the agency’s Managing Director, Dr. Ibimina Wokoma, and the Board Chairman, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike, to promote a cleaner and healthier environment.
Ukoha described the PCRC as a strategic grassroots partner capable of mobilising communities and driving behavioural change through sustained public enlightenment on proper waste disposal.
He expressed concern over the increasing rate of indiscriminate refuse dumping in parts of Port Harcourt, particularly in New GRA, where blocked drainage channels and illegal shanties have continued to contribute to flooding and environmental degradation.
According to him, the agency is determined to intensify enforcement against environmental offenders, warning that unregistered cart pushers and residents who patronise them would be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the RIWAMA Act, 2014.
The RIWAMA official urged residents to embrace proper waste disposal practices and patronise only government-approved waste operators in order to safeguard public health and protect the environment.
Responding, the Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee in Rivers State, Dr. Voke Emore, commended RIWAMA for seeking collaboration with the committee in addressing environmental challenges confronting the state.
Emore said the PCRC would deploy its community-based structures across the state to support public sensitisation and encourage residents to comply with environmental sanitation regulations.
He also called on local government councils to play more active roles in waste management, noting that they collect sanitation levies and should complement the efforts of the state government in maintaining a clean environment.
The PCRC chairman described indiscriminate refuse disposal as a serious environmental and public health concern, stressing that sustained collaboration among government agencies, community leaders and residents remained critical to achieving lasting sanitation goals.
Both organisations expressed optimism that the partnership would promote cleaner communities, reduce environmental hazards and strengthen public participation in efforts to ensure a healthier and more sustainable environment for the people of Rivers State.
King Onunwor
The Rivers State Police Command has arrested five suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate allegedly terrorising communities in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the State.
The State Police Command disclosed this in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, ASP Blessing Agabe, in Port Harcourt, recently.
The suspects were arrested during a coordinated operation at Oyigbo, following directives by the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, CP Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju.
Those arrested were Ezekiel Emmanuel, 44, from Benue State; Chukwuma Mbanefor, 51, from Anambra State; Nicholas Diala, 65, from Imo State; Ndubuisi Uwakwe, 49, from Abia State; and Ifeanyi Nwakwo, 51, from Imo State.
The Command said the arrest represented another significant operational success in its ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating in the State.
According to the Police, preliminary investigation indicated that the suspects were allegedly involved in kidnapping operations within Rivers State.
The suspects, during interrogation, allegedly confessed to their involvement in kidnapping and further admitted participating in several operations carried out in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities.
The Command said investigation was ongoing, with efforts intensified to identify and apprehend other members of the suspected syndicate who may be connected with the criminal activities.
The Police boss said the operation reflected the implementation of operational directives and the intelligence-driven policing strategy of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc, NPM.
Adepoju reaffirmed the Command’s determination to sustain aggressive intelligence-led operations against kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery and other violent crimes across Rivers State.
He warned kidnappers and other criminal elements operating in the State that there would be no safe haven for them, stressing that the Command would relentlessly pursue, arrest and ensure that those found culpable were brought to justice.
The Commissioner further assured residents of the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, urging members of the public to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies in the fight against crime.
He appealed to residents to provide the Police with credible and timely information capable of assisting security operatives in preventing criminal activities and apprehending suspected criminals.
The Command urged members of the public who may have useful information on the activities of the suspected kidnapping syndicate or other criminal elements to contact the Police through its emergency lines, assuring that such information would assist ongoing investigations.
King Onunwor