A 24-inch gas pipeline located in the Southern Ijaw local government area (LGA) in Bayelsa state has been damaged.
The Ogboinbiri/Obiobi 24-inch gas pipeline is located between Angiama and Angiamagbene communities.
Confirming the incident in a statement on Friday, Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, Bayelsa commissioner of information and orientation, described the damage of the facility as “criminal damage and economic sabotage”.
Koku-Obiyai said the state government is working with security agencies to ensure that those responsible are apprehended
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“The public should note that the protection of national assets is a collective responsibility, and we urge all citizens to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities around public assets to the law enforcement agencies,” the statement reads.
“The damage to public assets not only results in revenue loss to federal, state, and local governments but also poses grave environmental dangers.
“Exposure to natural gas and petrochemicals can constitute significant health challenges to citizens.
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“We urge the youth in the state to resist the temptation to engage in destructive activities and instead work with the administration to sustain peace and protect public infrastructure. Together, we can achieve the prosperity agenda of the government and develop infrastructure to attract investment.
“Let us work together to ensure the safety and security of our public assets and prevent future occurrences of economic sabotage.”
Over the past few days, pipelines in the Niger Delta area of the country have suffered a series of damages.
On March 17, fire erupted on a segment of the Trans-Niger Pipeline (TNP) in Bodo community, Gokana LGA of Rivers state.
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Five days later, an explosion was reported at the Soku gas pipeline along the Soku-Elok (Abua)-Rumuji-Bonny export terminal in Rivers state.
