Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has directed security forces in Africa’s most populous nation to, with immediate effect, clamp down on all illegal oil refineries dotted across the country.
This follows the explosion that occurred over the weekend at an illegal refinery located at Abaezi forest in Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State.
The explosion claimed over 100 lives of Nigerians.
The Nigerian leader, in a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, described the incident as “a catastrophe and a national disaster.”
President Buhari emphasised that security agencies have been directed to intensify the clampdown on illegal refineries.
He said the responsibility for the loss of lives and property “must squarely lie with the sponsors” of the illegal refinery, assuring that they “must all be caught and made to face justice.”
The president conveyed “the condolences and the full depth and range of the nation’s shock and trauma” to the families of the victims, the community and the people of the state.
Mr Buhari urged community leaders and the personnel of the Nigerian Police Force to take steps to ensure that such a “heartbreaking incident” is not allowed to occur again in any part of the country.
Illegal crude oil refining has become a lucrative business, mainly among residents of oil-producing states, despite its dangerous consequences.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
