NNPC warns owners of illegal structures to remove them from their Right of Way

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has warned owners of illegal structures to remove them from Right of Way or be ready to face the full weight of the law.

This warning is coming as the Corporation is preparing to conduct integrity survey on all its pipelines across the country.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) Downstream, NNPC, Mr Adeyemi Adetunjii, gave this notice to owners of illegal structures along its RoW during an on the spot assessment of the areas affected by the pipeline fire incident in Lagos.

He stressed that, the integrity survey is expected to assist the corporation in determining pipelines that are susceptible to compromise and breaches by pipeline vandals.

He disclosed that, they in conjunction with security agencies, especially men of the Lagos State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and also will clear there RoW of illegal structures in a bid to keep vandals in check.

He lamented that, pipeline ruptures within the Baruwa corridor is becoming a recurrent incidence, as two incidents were recorded in the community last year and another two in 2019.

He noted that, the needless destruction of national assets by vandals is a criminal offence that would not be swept under the carpet.

He averred that, arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing to unravel more people behind the act of sabotage.

While calling on community leaders, including members of the Community Development Association (CDA) and traditional rulers to help safeguard the pipelines within there neighbourhood from unscrupulous element and in order to avoid incessant pipeline explosions.

“The construction of surface pipelines has helped in saving the country huge resources that have been channeled into other developmental projects as against using the same resources to construct pipeline with deeper depths, which cost a lot of money” he said.