…says Bodo attack on pipeline was clear sabotage
With bombings and attacks on oil facilities in Rivers State in the wake of political crisis and state of emergency, pipeline protection firm in the tension-soaked states have moved to take back initiative.
This is aimed to head off further attacks in Rivers State in particular and prevent spread to Bayelsa State.
Now, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), the firm responsible for securing the Trans-Niger Pipeline (TNP), has scheduled a two-day meeting in Rivers and Bayelsa states.
This is said to be because pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft posing renewed threats to national revenue and environmental sustainability.
PINL says it has moved to reinforce security measures while fostering stronger relationships with communities along the TNP corridor.
PINL says the two-day high-level town hall meetings with key stakeholders along the TNP corridor is to strengthen pipeline security and promote peace in host communities.
The engagement, set to take place on March 31, 2025, and April 1, 2025, at Port Harcourt and Yenagoa respectively, would bring together government representatives, industry leaders, and community stakeholders to discuss collaborative strategies for safeguarding the TNP, which is a critical crude oil export pipeline in Nigeria.
The company emphasized that inclusive dialogue is essential in ensuring a secure and stable operating environment.
Speaking on the initiative, Community Relations Consultant of PINL, Akpos Meze, who announced the stakeholders engagement in a chat with newsmen in Port Harcourt, said traditional rulers, youth and women leaders from the communities on the Trans-Niger Pipeline corridor covering Rivers, Bayelsa, Imo and Abia states, are expected to be part of the meeting.
Meze also noted that top political actors from the four states especially Rivers State, where the political crisis rocking the State has been blamed for fueling cases of pipeline vandalism, are expected to be in attendance.
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While emphasizing that PINL was not partisan in the matter, he insisted that the essence of this edition of the meeting with the various interest groups was to drive a peace process and ultimately secure the pipeline to ensure greater output to boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He expressed optimism that the meeting would help end further infractions on the TNP. He stated that; “There is that impression that the recent blast on the Trans-Niger Pipeline under our management could have been avoided, so what we intend doing at this stakeholders meeting of all the community leaders, government representatives, and all actors is take steps to forestall further infractions.
“The meeting is to ensure that everybody is on the same page and carry same vision for more oil output and increase the Gross Domestic Product of the country”.
He used the opportunity to clear the air on the recent blast on the TNP pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, describing it as a clear case of sabotage.
He explained that for a long time before the recent incident, the company had maintained zero infractions on the pipeline, and has returned to full operation after the incident.
“The Trans Niger Pipeline has been fixed and it is currently working at 100% output”, he confirmed.
The PINL consultant used the occasion to reveal that the company had since inception been involved in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the host communities including providing relief materials for flood victims in Bayelsa State after the 2022 floods, distribution of palliatives last year December to all host communities, among others.
Through this town hall meeting, PINL aims to build trust, improve security frameworks, and contribute to long-term peace and economic stability.
The event is said to underscore the company’s commitment to balancing business sustainability with social impact, ensuring that investments in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector remained protected.
