Rivers: Tension as ruptured pipeline leaks petroleum product

There is growing tension in Obianime-Ama community in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State following the discovery of a ruptured pipeline leaking an unidentified petroleum product in broad daylight.

Channels Television reports that the incident, which occurred on Sunday, has raised concerns about potential environmental hazards and safety risks in the area.

The television quoted a source as saying that the affected pipeline belongs to the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL.

According to the TV station, eyewitnesses reported that the leakage began around 2:30 pm near a location opposite the PPMC facility in Okrika LGA.

The report said that the residents are making efforts to contain the spill but the situation has remained unresolved, prompting residents to cordon off the area and restrict vehicular and motorcycle movement as a precautionary measure.

Pictures made available to Channels Television revealed the extent of the leakage, with residents expressing frustration over the lack of immediate response from the pipeline’s operators.

While some speculated that the rupture might have been caused by vandalism, others dismissed the possibility, citing the presence of security personnel guarding the facility nightly.

One resident, who chose to remain anonymous, told Channels, “It can’t be vandalism. People guard this place every night, so that kind of thing is impossible. The pipeline is old and needs to be replaced.”;

It said that efforts were made to reach the Chairman of the Obianime-Ama Community Development Committee and the management of PPMC for comments but they were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria, issued a press release on Sunday, confirming the incident and calling for urgent action.

According to the statement signed by its Executive Director, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, the leakage and subsequent explosion occurred on the PPMC pipeline right of way in Okrika.

The incident was reportedly linked to ongoing maintenance work by contractors following an earlier incident on Thursday, March 20, 2025.

YEAC-Nigeria’s youth volunteers, under the One Million Youth Volunteers Network of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters in the Niger Delta, documented the incident with video evidence showing flames erupting from the pipeline.

The inferno was eventually extinguished later the same day.