A fire incident has been reported on a gas pipeline along the Soku-Abua-Rumuji right-of-way in Rivers State, less than a week after a fire broke out on the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area.
In a statement on Sunday, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) described the latest incident as an explosion at the Soku gas facility in Akuku Toru Local Government Area, intensifying concerns over the security of oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta.
According to the grassroots NGO, youth volunteers raised the alarm after hearing a loud blast and seeing fireballs at the Soku facility, which is operated by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited.
“The explosion was accompanied by fireballs, which could be seen rising from the facility,” YEAC-Nigeria stated in a release signed by its Executive Director, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface.
“The fire is still ongoing as of the time of this report,” the statement added.
However, the General Secretary of the Soku community, Mr. Witness Alasia, denied reports of an explosion at the facility.
In a statement on behalf of the community leadership, Alasia dismissed the claims, saying, “It is disheartening and worrisome that people will mischievously misinform the public with a baseless and untrue story. Soku Gas Plant is safe and in perfect working condition.”
He did, however, confirm a fire outbreak along the Soku-Abua-Rumuji gas pipeline right-of-way but noted that the cause remains unknown. According to him, the company has not issued any official statement regarding the incident.
This marks the third such fire incident in Rivers State within a week, raising serious concerns about the security of oil infrastructure in the region. Prior to this, explosions were reported in Ogoni and Oga/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.
These incidents were referenced by President Bola Tinubu in his nationwide address on March 18, during which he declared a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, citing repeated attacks on oil facilities as a major factor.
As part of his response to the crisis, the President suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, attributing their removal to the governor’s failure to protect vital oil infrastructure.
YEAC-Nigeria has called for an immediate investigation into the Soku incident.
The group urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to determine the cause of the incident and ensure accountability.
“Perpetrators of this crime must be held accountable in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021,” YEAC-Nigeria said.
Efforts to reach Rivers State Police Command spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, for comments were unsuccessful. She requested that inquiries be sent via text message due to her busy schedule but had not responded at the time of filing this report.
