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Oil`s not well in Nigeria

  • 14/06/2006

Oil`s not well in Nigeria More than 200 people are feared to have burnt to death in a pipeline explosion at Isanki Island in the Ilado area of Lagos recently, according to official reports.

The pipeline belongs to the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Eyewitnesses said the explosion started at dawn as people scrambled for the fuel gushing out from vandalised pipes, a common sight in Lagos. The police discovered over 70 jerrycans, tools, and outboard engines at the scene.

Stealing finished oil products from oil pipelines is a frequent sight in Nigeria's poverty-stricken areas. Officials say over 2,000 people have died in Nigeria in recent years while pilfering fuel from tapped pipelines.

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