- Community alleges ignored leak warning as Rivers residents demand compensation; environmental group raises alarm over ageing oil and gas infrastructure
The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has called for an independent investigation into the October 15 gas pipeline explosion in Aleto, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, demanding accountability for any negligence, compensation for affected residents and the decommissioning of pipelines found unsafe for continued operation.
The environmental rights organisation said the explosion, involving a facility operated by Nigeria Gas Infrastructure Company Limited (NGIC), a subsidiary of NNPC Limited, damaged homes, shops and vehicles, injured residents and disrupted livelihoods in a community already burdened by extensive oil and gas infrastructure.
HOMEF made the demands following a visit to the affected community on October 16, during which it documented allegations that a suspected gas leak along the same pipeline corridor had been reported before the explosion.
The allegation has raised serious questions about the response to the reported warning, the condition of the pipeline and the adequacy of safety measures protecting communities living close to critical petroleum infrastructure.
Comrade Woke John Ebie, Youth President of Aleto and Secretary of the Eleme Youth Council Worldwide, told HOMEF that a previous leak had occurred approximately two months earlier, about 200 metres from the site of the latest explosion.
He further alleged that a suspected leak immediately preceding the incident had been reported to NGIC, whose representatives visited the location and erected a barricade.
“A suspected leak happened about two weeks before this explosion; we reported it to the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), a subsidiary of NNPC Limited. The company representatives visited the location and erected a barricade, but the explosion occurred the following day,” Ebie said.
The account has intensified calls for investigators to establish what action was taken after the alleged warning, whether the pipeline was subjected to an adequate safety assessment and whether appropriate preventive measures were implemented before the explosion.
The circumstances surrounding the incident, including the cause of the explosion and the adequacy of the emergency response, remain matters for an independent technical investigation.
LGA chairman demands pipeline integrity assessment
Chairman of Eleme Local Government Area, Barrister Obarilomate Ollor, has called for a comprehensive assessment of the pipeline network, warning that remedial efforts must extend beyond the visibly damaged section.
Ollor expressed concern that the pipeline could be at least 50 years old, arguing that infrastructure of such age required urgent technical scrutiny to determine its structural integrity and fitness for continued operation.
He urged the Federal Government to direct the relevant gas infrastructure authorities to assess the damage, establish the cause of the explosion, provide relief to affected residents and ensure that victims receive the necessary assistance.
The council chairman also called for a comprehensive review of the pipeline network, including the replacement of ageing infrastructure wherever necessary to prevent further incidents.
The explosion has left residents counting their losses, with affected traders and business owners reporting damage to their goods and personal belongings as they fled the scene.
Fasilatula Waakikeloma, who said she was inside her shop when the explosion occurred, appealed to the authorities to intervene and support those affected.
“The government should do something. This thing is terrible. I have never seen this kind of thing in my life,” she said.
Another victim, Esther Victor Bright, said she lost goods and a bag containing approximately ₦100,000 associated with her point-of-sale business while escaping the explosion.
“I lost a POS bag containing approximately ₦100,000 while fleeing the explosion. We are struggling here, financially, and even just to breathe. This explosion is already destroying livelihoods and pushing our households into financial distress,” she said.
Their accounts underscore the economic consequences of the incident for residents whose daily survival depends on small businesses and other local economic activities.
Traditional ruler calls for state of emergency
The Paramount Ruler of Aleto and King of Eleme, His Royal Majesty, King Dr Philip Osaro Obele, said the explosion highlighted the dangers faced by a community hosting critical infrastructure that supports Nigeria’s energy and industrial sectors.
Obele listed two refineries, two fertiliser companies, a petrochemical plant, Onne Deep Sea and Light Terminals, Shell flow stations and the NNPC Housing Estate among the major facilities in and around the area.
“Eleme is the heart and hub of Nigeria’s economy. We have two refineries, two fertiliser companies, a petrochemical plant, Onne Deep Sea and Light Terminals, Shell flow stations, and the largest NNPC Housing Estate in the East. Pipelines criss-cross our land to serve the nation,” he said.
The traditional ruler lamented what he described as an unfair environmental and safety burden borne by the host community despite the national economic importance of the facilities located within its territory.
“We are the golden bird that lays the golden eggs, but after taking our resources, they kill us with pollution and explosions,” Obele said.
He also raised concerns about acid rain, damaged roofing sheets, unsafe drinking water, declining soil fertility and reported health problems, calling for urgent government intervention to address the wider environmental challenges confronting the community.
Obele supported the declaration of a state of emergency across Eleme Local Government Area, rather than limiting intervention to Aleto, and urged the Federal Government and relevant gas infrastructure authorities to address recurring leaks and protect lives and property.
HOMEF warns against repairs without accountability
HOMEF said the explosion should not be treated merely as an infrastructure repair exercise, arguing that it exposed the wider dangers associated with ageing oil and gas pipelines running through densely inhabited communities.
The organisation insisted that the pipeline’s installation date, maintenance history and structural integrity must be established as part of a thorough investigation. It maintained that any pipeline found unfit for safe operation should be decommissioned or removed.
According to HOMEF, repeated repairs without a comprehensive assessment of the affected pipeline corridor could leave residents exposed to further explosions, leaks and other industrial hazards.
It stressed that operators and regulatory institutions responsible for enforcing applicable safety standards must be held accountable where failures in maintenance, risk management or regulatory oversight are established.
The organisation called on the Federal Government to direct NGIC, NNPC Limited and the relevant regulators to conduct an independent investigation, publish their findings and establish the technical cause of the explosion.
It also urged investigators to determine whether the alleged pre-explosion warning was adequately addressed and whether any operational deficiencies or failures in emergency response contributed to the incident.
HOMEF further demanded a comprehensive pipeline integrity assessment before operations resume on any affected section deemed unsafe, alongside appropriate sanctions where negligence or breaches of applicable obligations are proven.
Victims seek relief as safety concerns mount
Beyond establishing the cause of the explosion, HOMEF called for immediate medical assistance for injured residents and fair compensation for people whose homes, businesses, vehicles and livelihoods were damaged.
The organisation also advocated community participation in pipeline safety assessments, environmental monitoring and decisions affecting residents living near oil and gas facilities.
It maintained that communities hosting critical energy infrastructure must not be left to bear the consequences of industrial accidents without adequate protection, transparency and access to remedy.
For Aleto and the wider Eleme community, the demands now extend beyond restoring damaged property. Residents want the authorities to establish what caused the explosion, determine whether the reported warning was ignored or inadequately addressed, compensate victims and ensure that any pipeline found unsafe is taken out of service.
The incident has renewed scrutiny of the safety of ageing oil and gas infrastructure in Rivers State and the responsibility of operators and regulators to prevent avoidable industrial disasters in communities situated along pipeline corridors.
