Seven policemen missing, vandals feared dead in Arepo pipeline fire…..Depot shut down
Adetokunbo Fakeye
No fewer than seven persons are feared dead in an explosion that occurred on Sunday in Arepo, Ogun State.
The seven, said to be pipeline vandals and policemen, were believed to have died after a shootout between the police and suspected pipeline vandals.
The vandals were said to have attacked the policemen, who were guarding the pipeline, in the wee hours of Sunday.
As a result of the exchange of gunfire, the pipeline caught fire.
Spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency in the South West, Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed the development.
According to him, the supply of petroleum products to the pipeline had been shut.
He said: “The security men are manning the area because it is the flashpoint from which the vandals usually strike.
“We however cannot tell how they (the vandals) got the boldness to confront the security men in a gun battle.
“The security operatives also had to reply them.
“This fire was more intense when all this started, but it has drastically reduced.
“It should be off before day break.” He concluded.
