An explosion has occurred at the Soku oil facility in Akuku Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.
While the cause of the incident was not immediately clear, it comes barely a week after an explosion occurred on the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of the state.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), a grassroots non- governmental organization with a strong network across the Niger Delta, confirmed the latest explosion on Sunday.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, the organization said, it received reports from its youth volunteers about an early morning explosion at the Soku oil facility operated by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited.
According to the statement: “An explosion accompanied by fireballs was heard and seen in the sky from the facility area, which is difficult to reach. The fire is still ongoing as of the time of this report.”
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This marks the third explosion at oil facilities in Rivers State in less than a week.
The first occurred in Ogoni, while the second was in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, an incident referenced by President Bola Tinubu in his March 18 nationwide broadcast, while declaring a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State.
Following these incidents, the president suspended members of the the Rivers State House of Assembly, the deputy governor and Governor Siminalayi Fubara, citing his alleged failure to protect oil infrastructure.
The decision followed threats by some youths in a viral video, warning against Gov. Fubara’s impeachment.
YEAC-Nigeria called for an urgent investigation into the Soku explosion. The group urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a joint investigation visit to determine the cause of the incident .
“Perpetrators of this crime must be held accountable, in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021,” the statement concluded
