Days after a major explosion hit the Trans-Niger pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, yet another explosion has reportedly occurred at the Soku oil facility in Akuku Toru Local Government Area of the state.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), a prominent grassroots non-governmental organization in the Niger Delta, raised the alarm about the incident.
In the early hours of Sunday, the group received information of the explosion at the Soku oil facility, operated by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited.
A statement issued in Port Harcourt and signed by YEAC’s Executive Director, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, confirmed the explosion through the organization’s network of youth volunteers in the area.
According to the report, “An explosion accompanied by fireballs was heard and seen in the sky from the facility area, which is difficult to access, and the fire was still ongoing at the time of this report.”
The cause of the explosion remains unclear, with speculation ranging from equipment failure to sabotage or an attack on the facility.
This marks the third such incident in Rivers State in less than a week, following explosions in the Ogoni area and the Oga/Egbama/Ndoni Local Government Area, which President Bola Tinubu highlighted in his March 18 nationwide broadcast while declaring a six-month state of emergency in the state.
In response, YEAC-Nigeria has called for an immediate investigation into the explosion at Soku and urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a joint investigation visit to determine the cause. The group further emphasized that those responsible for the incident should be held accountable in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021.
