Despite past incidents that should deter Nigerians from trying to scoop oil, where a pipeline has burst, nobody seems to have learnt any lessons. The death toll at the Osisioma pipeline explosion in South East Nigeria has exceeded 150.
A report blamed security operatives for causing the disaster, as they were collecting money from the villagers that came to scoop the oil, instead of preventing them from entering the site.
In the past years, there have been questions as to the Nigerian Petroleum Corporation’s diligence in repairing old leaky pipelines. The fact is the explosion of pipelines should not be blamed on vandalism or the activities of militancy.