Explosion in Arepo as vandals attack pipeline

Suspected oil vandals on Sunday struck again at Arepo in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, leading to a massive explosion.
But the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps authority said the explosion, which occurred around 4am, was not at Arepo, but a village called Elepete in Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
The explosion occurred after the vandals attacked a pipeline, passing through the community.
A police source said that although there was no casualty, residents in the area had immediately phoned the Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation head office, which promised to come quickly to the scene.
The source further said: “We were inside the security post built for us by NNPC to monitor the activities of vandals when we heard their gunshots. When we heard the sound of the gun shots repeatedly, coming towards our side, my colleagues and I who were sleeping quickly woke and mobilized. We picked our arms and tried to repel them.”
The police however added that the explosion was not at Arepo as earlier feared, but Elepete Village.
The source said: “The explosion did not occur at Arepo. The place where the fire is coming from is called Elepete Village in Ikorodu area of Lagos State. But the vandals passed through the creek in Arepo to get to Elepete, to perpetrate their act.
“We cannot cross the creek because we had not received any directive from our superior.”
A resident of the area, who craved anonymity, said: “We were surprised to see another explosion this morning. We want the state government and the federal government to work together and put a final stop to these incessant attacks from vandals. We are scared because of the smoke we inhale whenever there was an explosion. We don’t know the effect of this smoke on our health.”
It would be recalled that six days ago, oil vandals attacked Owutu Police Station, where they killed two policemen, a commercial motorcyclist and injured several others.
It was also later discovered that vandals shot two NSCDC officers and kidnapped two.
The Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC, Ogun State Command, Kareem Olarewaju, confirmed the explosion.
Olanrewaju said there was a rupture on the NNPC pipeline, caused by some suspected vandals.
He added: “The explosion did not occur on the soil of Arepo. Ongoing investigation conducted by our men showed that the explosion occurred from an area called Elepete Village in Ikorodu, a boundary with Arepo.”
Efforts to speak with the NSCDC PRO, Lagos State Command, Chibuzor Mefo, via phone were abortive.
Mefo did not pick his calls and did not reply text messages.