29 November 2016, Warri – The Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe (ODS), said Monday that the recent pipeline explosion that occurred around Otu-Jeremi, Ughelli, Delta State, was caused by bush burning.
Clarifying the incident, JTF’s Deputy Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre (JMCC), Lt. Com. Thomas Otuji, said heat from the bush burning ruptured the pipeline belonging to Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).
Otuji asked members of the public to disregard a statement from a militant group, Greenland Justice Mandate (GJM), which claimed responsibility for the incident.
He said: “There was no attack on the pipeline. What happened was that bush burning ignited an old pipeline”.
The pipeline, which was said to be a few meters away from Otorogu Gas Plant, a multimillion naira project, exploded and went up in flames at about 6.40am on Sunday.
- The Nation
