A massive explosion has struck the Trans-Niger Pipeline (TNP) at Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident, which occurred on Monday night, left the affected section of the pipeline engulfed in flames by Tuesday morning. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky as the fire spread rapidly into the surrounding mangroves, according to a viral video circulating online.
Authorities have yet to confirm the cause of the explosion. However, concerns have been raised about possible sabotage, particularly amid ongoing tensions over the federal government’s withholding of Rivers State’s monthly allocations due to the state’s political crisis.
The Trans-Niger Pipeline is a critical federal infrastructure transporting crude oil to the Bonny Export Terminal.
There are questions about the cause of the explosion as stakeholders are asking if it happened because of system failure or orchestrated by elements involved in the political crisis that has been rocking the oil-rich state.
