Pipeline fire in southeast Nigeria kills 20

 A government spokesman says 20 people in southeast Nigeria died when a broken gasoline pipeline caught fire, burning alive those gathering the fuel.

The fire happened in a remote village in Abia state, near Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta. Abia state government spokesman Ugochukwu Emezue said Monday that the fire happened Sept. 23, but it took days for the information to reach officials.

Pipeline ruptures remain common in Nigeria, an oil-rich nation where militants and criminals routinely tap into lines to steal crude oil and refined gasoline. Fires can easily and accidentlally be sparked by those attempting to gather the fuel.

In September, Nigeria's state-run oil company said suspected thieves shot dead three of its workers in southeast Ogun state after rupturing a gasoline pipeline to steal fuel.

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Police Apprehend Pipeline vandals in kogi state

The Nigeria Police Force in its continued determination to ensure the protection of oil installations, especially NNPC pipelines across the country, on 8^th and 9^th September, 2012, at Agayin, Ajaokuta LGA of Kogi State, smashed a syndicate of NNPC pipeline vandals. A statement from the force deputy public relations officer, Frank Mba said.

This feat was recorded by the newly constituted IGP’s Special Taskforce on Anti Pipeline Vandalization headed by ACP F.T Ibadin, who working on information received on 7^thSeptember, 2012 from a good-spirited Nigerian, stormed Adogo village with officers and men of the Taskforce on 8^th September, 2012 and dislodged the vandals.

The vandals, over-powered by the Police, took to their heels, abandoning Seventeen (17) trucks, majority of them already loaded with stolen petroleum products.  A Honda car, a Volkswagen Golf car, some offensive weapons and other equipment used by the suspects to siphon petroleum products from vandalized NNPC pipelines were also recovered. The Special Taskforce also arrested one Stephen Amana of Adogo village who confirmed to own one of the trucks.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP MD Abubakar, commended members of the Taskforce for their timely response which led to the recovery of the items and the arrest of the suspect.  He further stated that the Force will leave no stone unturned in forestalling further vandalisation of pipelines by hoodlums.

The IGP expressed his gratitude to the Governor and people of Kogi State for their cooperation and support before, during and after the operations. He stated that their information to the Police assisted in no small measure in the success of the Special Taskforce.

The IGP, while assuring Nigerians of the Police readiness to fulfill its constitutional mandate, appealed for a more cordial relationship between the Police and the public.

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