Barely 12 hours after an explosion at the Trans-Niger Pipeline, another major blast struck an oil facility in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State.
The Tuesday morning explosion at a Manifold Connecting federal line in the Okwawriwa area sent massive flames into the sky, escalating concerns over Nigeria’s oil sector security.
Eyewitnesses report that the facility serves as a conduit for petroleum products from major operators—Seplat, Agip, and Shell—transporting crude from ONELGA and parts of Imo State to Brass in Bayelsa State. Fortunately, the remote location of the facility helped minimise casualties.
This latest blast compounds fears after the previous night’s explosion at the Trans-Niger Pipeline, operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), which supplies crude to Bonny Terminal.
The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed that two individuals are in custody for questioning regarding the Trans-Niger incident while investigations continue into the cause of both explosions.
With oil being the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, these back-to-back disruptions raise alarm over the nation’s energy infrastructure. If unchecked, repeated attacks or failures could severely impact crude production and export revenues, further straining an already fragile economy.
As the situation unfolds, all eyes are on security agencies to swiftly address the crisis and safeguard Nigeria’s most vital resource.
