PPMC Shuts Down Atlas Cove Pipeline Over Explosion

LAGOS, August 31, (THEWILL) - The Pipelines and Products Marketing Company on Friday announced the closure of one of its network lines in the South West, as a result of an explosion a day earlier.

According to Mr. Nasir Imodagbe, the manager, public affairs and external relations department of the company, the explosion occurred on Thursday as vandals tried to siphon petroleum products from the network, located at Arepo along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

He stated that the explosion was reported at about 11:30 pm, prompting the shutdown of the ‘System 2B Network,’ which is the channel pumping petroleum products from Atlas Cove in Lagos to other depots in the southwest region.

“The situation is being controlled by security personnel and the fire service,” he said, adding that “supplies will be restored as soon as the damaged pipelines are repaired.”

While he remained coy on the damages done by the explosion, he hinted that it could have been caused by the speed boat of the vandals.

“What I can tell you is that this is not the first time that a pipeline will explode in that area,” said Imodagbe, who equally admitted that vandalism of pipelines belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has yet to be dealt with despite its huge negative consequence for the country’s economy and for human lives.

He explained that although the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps and the community’s vigilante monitor all pipelines passing through the area, it is difficult to provide security in the place because of its swampy nature.