By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
AN EXPLOSION late Monday night ruptured a section of the Trans-Niger Pipeline (TNP) in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, igniting a massive fire that spread into surrounding mangrove forests.
Eyewitnesses reported that the blast occurred near the Bodo-Bonny Road, which is currently under construction. A widely circulated video from the scene showed thick plumes of black smoke rising into the sky as flames engulfed the area.
The fire remains active as authorities work to determine the cause of the explosion.
The TNP is a crucial federal oil transport line supplying crude oil to the Bonny export terminal in Rivers State.
The disruption has raised concerns about potential environmental damage and its impact on oil production in the Niger Delta region. The extent of the damage to the pipeline and the possibility of oil spills remain unclear.
Local security agencies have yet to confirm whether the explosion was caused by equipment failure, sabotage, or other factors.
In recent weeks, militant groups in the region have issued threats to attack oil installations amid tensions over the federal government’s handling of Rivers State’s financial allocations.
However, no group has claimed responsibility for this incident.
Grace Iringe-Koko, spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, stated that investigations were underway and that an official update would be provided in due course.
The explosion comes at a time of heightened political unrest in Rivers State.
On Monday, lawmakers loyal to a former state governor, Nyesom Wike, currently Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, initiated impeachment proceedings against the sitting Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Some Ijaw groups have warned that attempts to unseat Fubara could further destabilise the oil-rich Niger Delta.
However, authorities are expected to release an official statement on the explosion and its implications in the coming days.
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