Gas marketers allege sabotage on Magodo explosion, seek investigation
THE Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers Association (NALPGAM) has described as an act of sabotage, the recent gas explosion at the Second Coming Company Nigeria Limited’s plant in Lagos.
The company, located on CMD Road, Magodo, Ikosi Isheri Local Council Development Area (LCDA), witnessed an explosion about a week ago as a result of leakage in the facility. According to the company, it alerted the relevant authorities the moment it noticed that there was a leakage in the gas truck, which has been in the facility for almost 48 hours.
It added that moments after Lagos State Fire Service got to the scene, and while they were still trying to turn off the valve to stop the leakage, there was a massive explosion, triggered by the exhaust pipe of a passing vehicle some metres away, which spread rapidly to the plant.
Describing the incident as an act of sabotage, President of the association, Nosa Ogieva Okunbor, told journalists in Lagos yesterday, that result from the association’s investigation showed that there was a deliberate attempt by an unknown person to destroy the gas equipment and cause fire outbreak. “We embarked on an investigation immediately the accident happened and the result has been submitted and the final part of a further investigation is going on and will be ready soon.
“Also, government agencies are also doing their investigation. The Lagos State Safety Commission and the Department of Petroleum Recourses (DPR) is conducting its investigation into the explosion right now.
“From our investigation, there is no doubt that what happened at the gas plant was purely sabotage. The plant is one of the best-sophisticated gas plant in Nigeria.
“The materials used in the industry are so robust that things like this are checked. There is an internal valve, which has a valve that automatically switches off as soon as there is an emergency. If you don’t tamper with the valve, there will not be any leakage.
“As at the time the incident happened, there was nobody at the plant. The truck that caught fire was parked for 48 hours and there was no leakage. The leakage occurred around 4am on Monday morning,” he stated.
Okunbor insisted that the valve of the truck was tampered with by an unknown person, either to burn down the plant or to destroy the image of the industry.