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Ijegun Pipeline Fire Puts Off, Residents Count Losses

July 4, 2019

75 4 minutes read

The early morning pipeline fire which sacked the residents of Ijegun Community in Alimosho Area of Lagos State has been put off just as residents of the area count losses.

One of the residents, Mummy Kumolafe, whose shop was completely destroyed by fire, said she lost everything in the shop, calling on the kind hearted individual and government to come to their rescue.

“You can see my shop is no more. I lost everything including my wares. I don’t know what to do as I am speaking to you people. I am confused. I am helpless. Although I am not alone but am using this opportunity to call on kind hearted Nigerians and government to assist us.”

Almost all the shops and scores of houses on the street leading to the major carnal behind the Ijegun Catholic Church were affected by the inferno which eyes witness said started around 2am.

The Proprietress of Evidence Land Infant Place, a popular Day Cantre in the area, Mrs. Emem John, said mothers refused to bring their babies and children because of the fire incident because of that “I lost substantial revenue.”

Couples of schools in the area were not open today for normal school activities.

Some of the Schools are, Ijegun Comprehensive Junior High School; Ijegun Comprehensive Senior High School; Community Primary School, Ijegun; Baptist Model High School, Ijegun, among others.

Speaking to our Correspondent, the Chaplain, Baptist Model High School, Ijegun, Reverend Akinade, said when they heard the blast at about 2:30am, they started evacuating the students from the boarding house and take them closer to the main gate to ensure their safety.

Some vehicles burnt by the fire

He said there was no casualty and that everything is under control and thanked God for safety of the children.

Parents and guardians stormed the School to ascertain the safety of their children and wards.

“We heard the blast from the pipeline around 2:30 am and we alerted everyone and immediately we start evacuating the children to where they can be guaranteed of safety and we are very grateful to God for His grace,” he said.

The eyes witness, a resident of the area, who did not want his name mentioned, said he got a call from a member of the community vigilante “that bad boys were siphoning fuel from the pipeline.”

“I told him to alert the police and stay away from the point but keep his eyes on what was going on and report back to me.”

“So many cars and shops have been burnt and some lives have been lost while many sustained varied degrees of burnt.”

When we heard the blast, we all ran away from the house, the fire followed the trail of the fuel in the gutter from Fire Junction, to the Main Carnal and then escalated into other places. We thank God for the quick response by Lagos State Fire Service. They came about two hours after the inferno started.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed the fire outbreak development that occurred in Ijegun community, saying two persons die, and 30 vehicles burnt during the explosion.

The spokesperson for NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye said, “On arrival of the Lagos Response Team (LRT) at the scene of the incident, it was gathered that some vandals were engaged in illegal bunkering activities at Fire Junction, Ijegun, where Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines were buried.

He said the actual loss will be determined upon conducting post disaster enumeration after the fire has been put out.

“The vandals had already siphoned petrol into a 33,000 liters tanker while a second tanker of the same capacity was being loaded when security agencies suddenly intercepted them.

“While trying to escape, some of the siphoned fuel spilled into the drainage and the vandals were alleged to have set the spilled fuel on fire in a bid to deter the security agencies from apprehending them.

“The fire eventually returned to the pipeline point where the fuel was being siphoned by the vandals fuel and suddenly caused explosion with escalating fire which led to two fatalities and over 30 vehicles burnt.

“The actual loss will be determined upon conducting post disaster enumeration after the fire has been put out.”

“Responders at the scene included men of the Lagos State Fire Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the police. “Pipeline fire is a specialised fire management; not all firemen can handle it. “NNPC safety firemen are specially trained to handle such delicate incident and that is why NEMA mobilised the NNPC to the scene. “It will take time before the inferno can be tackled until the supplies from the pipeline are weak and disabled when supplies are shutdown and the main source and valves closest to the scene. “In as much as lives and property of the people are not threatened, the fire will be put off as soon as the safety of the fire officers are also assured.”

In 2008, when the Isolo-Ijegun Road was being constructed, there was a fire incident from the same point which claimed many lives and destroyed scores of properties. It was based on this that prompted the authorities of the area to name the place “Fire Bus-Stop.”