A gas pipeline explosion rocked the Aleto community in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State on Thursday afternoon, leaving multiple residents injured and several buildings damaged. Eyewitnesses identified the pipeline as belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.). The blast occurred shortly after 2pm, and those injured while evacuating were rushed to nearby hospitals for emergency care. At the time of reporting, the fire was still burning and no deaths had been confirmed.
YEAC-Nigeria Confirms the Blast
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) issued a statement on Thursday evening, saying it had independently verified the incident after sending volunteers to Aleto. Executive Director Dr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface said: "The incident, which is currently ongoing, has reportedly affected surrounding buildings, with some residents allegedly hospitalised as a result of its impact. As of the time of this statement, YEAC-Nigeria has not independently confirmed any fatalities."
Fyneface added that volunteers at the scene observed officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) present. He said the cause of the explosion was not yet certain, though early reports pointed to a pipeline rupture linked to equipment failure at a facility said to belong to NNPC Ltd.
Calls for Investigation
YEAC-Nigeria urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to identify the operator of the affected facility and carry out a Joint Investigation Visit to establish what triggered the incident. The group also called on the agency to apply relevant provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 where appropriate.
The Rivers State Police Command spokesperson, ASP Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, said she was unaware of the incident when contacted and asked for a text message to help her make enquiries. She had not responded by the time this report was filed. NSCDC spokesperson Mr Ihemnacho Umeado also said he would look into the matter but similarly had not provided an update before the deadline.
Previous Pipeline Contract Allegations
Legit.ng earlier reported that Atiku Abubakar called on President Tinubu to publish full details of NNPC's ₦11.2 trillion in other receivables from the Federation, including pipeline security spending. The former vice president named Tantita and the Chagoury family as contractors he said have ties to Tinubu's re-election effort, raising conflict of interest concerns. The statement, issued by the ADC Presidential Campaign Council on October 4, 2026, also challenged Tinubu over his remarks on returning from a four-week stay in Europe.
