Eveku community in Emohua Council Area of Rivers State has alleged that its indigenes died during a recent gas pipe explosion from an Agip facility in the area.
Eveku Community Development Committee Chairman, Promise Njah, told newsmen in Eveku on Monday that the explosion killed three persons.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that a Nigeria Agip Oil Company gas pipe explosion in Eveku has been causing panic, making several persons to flee the community for safety.
NAN further reports that youth of the community had stopped Agip’s technical team from undertaking repairs of the damaged pipe.
According to them, repair work should not be undertaken until the company interfaced with community to discuss possibilities of paying damages.
Njah said that those who died were buried in the bush as demanded by the customs and traditional practices of Odegu/Eveku people.
Njah said: “We have to follow our tradition, we know that the explosion led to the death of three persons, we must first discuss; the families of the victims must be visited.
“Companies operating in our land need to show that they are socially responsible, their facility cannot be more important than our lives.”
NAN recalls that Rivers Environment Commissioner, Prof. Roseline Konya, had during a visit to the facility called for immediate action towards repairs of the damaged pipe.
Konya said studies were necessary to understand the nature of gas being emitted, saying: “No gas from such facility can be very friendly, but we need to ascertain the type.”
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