Five Die As Explosion Rocks Illegal Oil Bunkering Site In Imo

At least five people died in an explosion that rocked an illegal bunkering site in Obitti, an oil-producing community in Imo State, on Wednesday.

In a statement released on Wednesday evening, the spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command, Henry Okoye, attributed the incident to the illegal activities of oil thieves in the area, particularly at the Obitti Rubber Estate, known for its nefarious oil vandalism.

Okoye further stated that five vandals lost their lives, a fuel tanker was engulfed in flames, and numerous properties and farmlands were destroyed.

Channels Television quoted eyewitnesses to have reported that the explosion was triggered by a clash between rival oil thieves during the loading of a crude oil tanker, leading to a gunfight.

In response to this unfortunate event, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, established a highly skilled investigation team to promptly determine the root cause of the incident and apprehend those responsible.

77 Illegal Miners Arrested In Ogun State – NSCDC Reports

Meanwhile, in 2023, no fewer than seventy-seven (77) illegal miners were apprehended at different locations by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Ogun State.

The Commandant of NSCDC in the state, David Ojelabi, revealed this information during an interview on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.

The NSCDC boss mentioned that the command collaborated with the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel to address the issue.

As a precautionary measure, letters were sent to mining groups in the state, cautioning them against storing explosives in residential areas.

The action, Naija News understands, was prompted by the recent Ibadan explosion, which was attributed to the explosives used by illegal miners.

Ojelabi attributed the easy access to explosives by these miners to the porosity of the borders, through which many of them imported such devices.

He further said, “It is like asking how armed robbers are getting their rifles and so on. Wherever you have 12 sitting together, possibly you have one Judas among them.

“So, because of the number of unmanned borders, I mean porous borders or illegal borders, they can easily import those things illegally into the country and make use of them.”