Few days after the resumption of Administrator of Rivers State Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) after the declaration of State of Emergency by President Bola Tinubu, an explosion has rocked Soku oil facility in Akuku Toru Local Government Area of the state.
The explosion is coming barely a week after that of Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), a grassroots NGO with strong networks across the Niger Delta, confirmed the Soku explosion on Sunday.
A statement by its Executive Director, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, said it received reports from its youth volunteers about an early morning explosion at the Soku oil facility operated by 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.”
The explosion is the third at oil facilities in Rivers State in less than a week. The first occurred in Ogoni, while the second was in Oga/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.
YEAC-Nigeria called for an urgent investigation into the Soku explosion and urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to determine the cause.
