April 20, 2024

Petrol pipeline leakage triggers panic in Ijegun community, Lagos State, as residents call for NNPC rescue

Oredola Adeola

 

Residents of Church Street, Iyanu Celestial Church, and the Canal, all within the Ijeododo road, Ijegun, Igando-Ikotun LCDA, Lagos under Alimosho Local Government Area, Lagos State, on Tuesday, raised alarm over a Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol pipeline leakage, that has thrown the entire community into panic mood.

 

This was confirmed in a statement sent to EnergyDay by Mr. Muyiwa Akinwumi, Chairman HfC, Kudeyibu Estate on Tuesday.

 

In the statement appealing for urgent intervention from Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and other relevant authorities, Mr. Akinwumi said the people of Ijegun are in a panic mood as the NNPC Pipeline supplying Petrol from Atlas Cove to the inland depots.

 

According to him, the pipeline erupted at around 8 am on Tuesday May 30, 2023.  He therefore noted that the various security agencies have been alerted and some of the officers have been dispatched to the location.

 

He further hinted that the CDA has directed all the residents living around Church Street, Iyanu Celestial Church, and the Canal not to put on any stoves and generators as the leaked petrol continues to flow in that direction.

 

EnergyDay’s correspondent gathered that the men of the Lagos State Fire Service are on standby while the Police led by the Isheri Oshun Divisional Police Office and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) are on standby to forestall further breakdown.

 

The community therefore called on the maintenance operatives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) to urgently come to their rescue.

 

The CDA Chairman further confirmed that the same leakage happened about 15 months ago at the same area which recorded a massive petrol leakage.

 

According to him, the leakage took about three days before it was curtailed by the relevance agencies and NNPC.

 

He emphasised that during that particular incident, resident’s properties worth millions of Naira were destroyed without compensation from the government or NNPC.

He said, “All calls and letters by the Community Development Association and His Royal Highness Onijegun of Ijegun to the NNPC to do the needful were not honoured.
“We asked the national oil company to completely change all the old underground pipes, but we are yet received response to our request, before this latest incident happened, “Mr. Akinwumi, HfC, Chairman, Kudeyibu Estate, CDA said.

 

Garba Deen Muhammad, NNPCL Group General Manager, Public Affairs division, did not respond to a request by our correspond for comment on the matter.