An explosion on Wednesday occurred at one of the pipelines of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in the Arepo area of Ogun State. Scores of pipeline vandals were reportedly killed.
The explosion is said to have occurred after some of the vandals exchanged gunfire, ThisDay reports.
According to the report:
The vandals, who were said to be from opposing camps, had engaged in a gun duel in a show of supremacy over who should control the pipeline and siphon petrol illegally.
ThisDay gathered from sources that one of the camps had first stormed the pipeline in order to tamper with the valves and then siphon fuel into their waiting jerry cans.
In the process of siphoning the product, the other camp got to the scene to perpetuate the same act, but ran into the first group.
A supremacy tussle over who should steal petrol from the pipeline area then ensued and when dialogue could not solve the problem, they resorted to violence.
ThisDay also gathered that from fisticuffs, the fracas quickly degenerated to a gun duel between the two factions.
It was during the gun duel that a bullet reportedly hit the pipeline, resulting in the explosion.
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