Ijedodo: Community sitting on a keg of gunpowder

Emeka Ibemere

With the ongoing demolition exercise of illegal structures on the petroleum pipelines belonging to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), hope seems to be on the way of residents of Ijedodo community in Isheri-Osun, Alimosho Local Government Area Lagos State.

Almost six months ago, the Community raised an alarm of imminent fire disaster in their community and called the authorities to help them from being razed down by fire from vandalized pipelines. Fire disaster struck on Thursday 20 December, 2012, claiming lives and property estimated to be worth several millions of naira.

The community had on 17 October, 2012 wrote their first letter which was addressed to the Chairman, Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences, Enforcement Unit, Governor’s office, Alausa, Ikeja. The letter signed by Chief Lamidi Oseni catalogued the danger inherent in continued erection of illegal residential buildings and churches on NNPC pipelines. The foundations of some of the buildings have at various points damaged the pipelines carrying petroleum products.

According to Oseni, the exposed portions of the pipelines attract pipeline vandals and oil bunkering who usually invade the community to siphon fuel from the pipelines. As if that was not enough, Chief Adeniyi Salisu also forwarded another letter to the office of the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, calling for the governor to use his good office to save an impending doom waiting to happen.  In the ‘Save Our Soul’ letter entitled: Imminent Communal clash/Disaster over Erection of illegal Structures on NNPC Pipeline & Conversion of Community Land for Church use in Isheri Osun Are, Alimosho Local Government Area, and Lagos State.

In the letter, Salisu pointed out that: “life and living in Ijedodo is now precarious; members of the community both old and young are now on the edge, helpless and feeling unsafe in the face of the massive and unrelenting nefarious activities of pipeline vandals who carry on with reckless abandon to the chagrin of all residents”. 

For months after that petition by the concerned members of the Ijedodo community on the imminent danger lurking, nothing was done. Instead, the activities of pipeline vandals went on unchecked with the erection of residential buildings and churches on the Petroleum pipelines with reckless abandon and in flagrant disobedience to the laid down regulations.

However, just last week God heard the cries of Ijedodo community as officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), begun nationwide demolition of all illegal structures built on the petroleum pipelines in its effort to avoid unnecessary destruction and illegal bunkering of petroleum products by pipeline vandals.

The officials of the Corporation and its Task Force first descended on the residents of Animotu Estate, off Ishashi Denro Road of Akute community, Ogun State near Lagos and the Pako-Pipeline area in Ikotun area of Lagos.

Prior to the demolition, NNPC had already given warning notices and marked the areas for demolition but the residents defied the orders and continued to do business on the facilities. There were lots of illegal structures including shops, Churches, sheds and kiosks built on the facilities.

According to investigation by Daily Signpost, many of the residents were living in fear as a result of the activities of the pipeline vandals which has been causing water pollution and likely pipeline explosion in the area.  

 On Easter Sunday while the residents of Oba-biye in Ikotun area of Alimosho Local Government Area were in their churches celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the NNPC officials were busy demolishing all illegal structures constructed along its pipelines at the Pako-bus-stop which harbours traders building material

 The affected structures include shops, fences, street gates, block industries, welder workshops and shades and eateries.
Armed soldiers and other security officials, including those of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were seen supervising the exercise. An official of the NNPC, who spoke to Daily Signpost, noted that the exercise was as a result of the pipeline explosion that killed over 30 suspected petroleum pipeline vandals in Ijedodo area of Ijekun last year. It would be recall that Dr Ade Abolurin, Commandant General, NSCDC, recommended the demolition of the structures to curb incessant explosions caused by vandals.
Those whose shops were pulled down only returned back from church to see the level of demolition. While some wept bitterly others complained that they were not given any notice before the sledge hammer fall on their structures.
They blamed the local government officials who collect tolls from them to erect the structures. The operations which started at Arepo have led to lots of  properties worth millions of Naira destroyed or pulled down and has extended to Akute Area of Ogun State and will spreading towards Alagbole, fagba in Iju, Agege, Iyano-Ipaja, Ejigbo and Ijedodo in Ijekun, Alimosho Local Government Area.
The Spokesman of the community, Chief Lamidi Oseni, who signed the letter on behalf of the community, stated that the buildings along the NNPC pipeline include churches and other illegal structures were not approved by the government.
The community therefore call on the governor to order the demolition of such houses and structures to avert disaster. Oseni wrote in the letter: “Some persons who claim to be land owners who now engage themselves in the sale and transfer of these parcels of land under which the NNPC pipeline is constructed are creating problems for the community as the foundations of these buildings, have damaged and exposed the pipes from which some persons now siphon petrol at odd hours of the night.” He further warned that such houses and structures erected on pipeline without any recourse to the danger of a fire outbreak will spell doom for the community, he added.
 “The foundation of a particular Celestial Church of Christ built on a pipeline has affected one of the NNPC’s pipelines; this burst pipeline is causing anxiety in the community and if not attended to soonest may cause unimaginable damage to properties and loss of human if there is any spark.”
But a source said that the demolition has reached Ijedodo and that many people are going to lose their properties because many of the houses are on the petroleum pipelines.