03 August 2015, Ughelli —Ovwor, Oteri, Adjekota, Otor-Egor and other immediate surrounding communities in Ughelli North and Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State are currently constrained as a result of a massive oil spill from a vandalised gas pipeline belonging to the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company, NPDC.
A security source in the area, told Vanguard that the damaged spot on the pipeline, is located in Oteri community and was damaged Friday morning. Confirming the incident when contacted yesterday, Mr. Zino Onaemo of Tezino Nig. Ltd., the company in charge of Pipeline Surveillance and Intelligence Gathering Project for OML 26 and OML 30, said that according to intelligence reports received, the pipeline was hack-sawed by some vandals who are currently on the run and have been declared wanted by security agencies.
He added: “The pipeline in question is a 10-12 inches gas flow line conveying products to a gas reserve.” Meanwhile, residents of the affected communities have cried out to the Federal Government and management of NPDC to fashion out ways of protecting oil facilities in their communities, stressing that they were on the receiving end in the incessant vandalization of these pipelines.
Similarly, an Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, gas pipeline, running from Escravos -Warri Petrochemical and Refining Company, WRPC- Lagos, has cracked at Opuedebubor creek in Warri South West Local Government Area, Delta State. Since the incident, last week, fear has gripped residents of the community, who told Vanguard, weekend that NNPC officials have not visited the ruptured pipeline since July 24, when it occured to effect repairs.
President of Tebubiri Youths in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Mr. Mike Itima, said that the community chairman, Mr. Fredrick Braye, had appealed to the villagers to avoid the spot and remain calm until government intervenes. “Up till now, nobody knows the cause of the leakage but gas is boiling and smoking from the pipeline and smelling everywhere in the community. It is blowing whistle,” he said.