-
A pipeline explosion has occurred in Gbarain Kingdom, Bayelsa State, amid rising concerns over security and oil infrastructure safety in Nigeria’s oil-producing region.
-
The explosion comes on the same day President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State due to a worsening political crisis.
A pipeline explosion has rocked Gbarain Kingdom in Bayelsa State, adding to rising concerns over security and oil infrastructure safety in Nigeria’s oil-producing region.
The blast occurred on Tuesday, March 19, 2025, the same day President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State due to a worsening political crisis.
The move follows a prolonged power struggle between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
President Tinubu suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, and the entire State House of Assembly. When contacted by newsmen, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, declined to make an immediate statement.
“The president has made a declaration, and what do you think we can say? I think it is too hasty to make any comment about it,” Johnson remarked. To stabilize the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd) has been appointed as the administrator to oversee governance. However, concerns remain over how the situation will unfold in the coming days.
The explosion in Gbarain Kingdom is the latest in a string of similar incidents. Just hours earlier, another pipeline explosion was reported in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) in Rivers State, with another occurring Monday night in Bodo, Gokana LGA. These repeated incidents highlight the vulnerability of oil infrastructure in the face of the rising political powerplay in Rivers State.
Key concerns raised by these explosions include what considerations went into the environmental safety, loss of production, and maintenance cost of oil pipelines, risks to local communities in the face of avoidable political instability in the ever-volatile Niger Delta. Analysts suggest that the escalating political tension in Rivers State may be contributing to the surge in attacks on oil facilities within the last 24 hours.
The ongoing struggle for power in the state could have created an opening for criminal activities, including pipeline vandalism. Given that the Nigerian economy relies heavily on crude oil and gas production from states like Delta, Rivers, and Bayelsa, disruptions to oil production could have serious economic repercussions on the country, and were quite frankly avoidable, analysts argue.
While NNPC and other oil operators have yet to release an official statement, reports indicate that investigations are underway to determine the cause of the explosions.
READ ALSO: Oporoza House Commends Tinubu on Pipelines Security Contract Award to Tompolo
Meanwhile, local communities in Gbarain Kingdom are calling for increased security presence around oil pipelines, environmental cleanup, relief materials, environmental impacts assessment, and adequate compensation.
Environmental activists have also warned that repeated pipeline explosions could have devastating effects on agriculture, the ecosystem, and public health.
Urgent need for stability and security has also been advised as the Gbarain explosion comes at a time of heightened political uncertainty in the Niger Delta.
Explosion Rocks Pipeline In Rivers
An explosion has rocked the Trans-Niger Pipeline at Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, leaving the affected section of the major pipeline ablaze.
The exact cause of the explosion remains unknown at this time.
