…NNPCL confirms explosion did not impact NGML/NIPCO CNG stations
… six vehicles damaged, nearby building impacted; cause under investigation, two suffer severe burns
Thelma Tokunbo
Following a fire outbreak at the Mobil Service Station on Obafemi Awolowo Way in Ikeja earlier on Thursday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ltd and 11 Plc, formerly Mobil Oil Nigeria, have issued statements to clarify the situation and assure the public of their commitment to safety.
Advisors Reports gathered that the fire, which occurred around 11 a.m., was swiftly contained through the combined efforts of 11 Plc’s emergency response team, the Lagos State Fire Service, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps.
The affected station has since been temporarily closed as investigations are underway.
Chris Olumayowa Meseko, Secretary of 11 Plc, in a statement obtained by Advisors Reports, confirmed the incident and outlined the company’s response measures.
He emphasized that 11 Plc is cooperating fully with relevant government agencies to ascertain the cause of the fire, assess the damage, and implement measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Meseko also confirmed that those injured have been evacuated to a nearby hospital, reiterating that safety remains a core value for the company.
Concurrently, the NNPC Ltd has clarified that the explosion is not linked to its recently commissioned NNPC Gas Marketing Ltd (NGML)/NIPCO Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations in Lagos.
Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd, also in a statement confirmed that all NGML facilities, including pipelines, metering stations, above-ground installations, and CNG stations, are in safe operating condition and were not affected by the incident.
“The reported explosion at a filling station in Ikeja has nothing to do with the NGML/NIPCO CNG stations, which continue to function safely without any incident,” Soneye stated, reinforcing the safety of all NNPC-related operations in Lagos.
Both 11 Plc and NNPC Ltd have expressed their commitment to public safety and have assured stakeholders of their ongoing efforts to manage the situation effectively.
The Mobil Service Station in Ikeja will remain closed pending the outcome of investigations and the implementation of necessary safety measures.
Nosa Okunbor, Head of Public Affairs at Lagos State Emergency Management Agency LASEMA , confirmed that a 12-ton gas truck explosion at a filling station in Ikeja caused significant damage, impacting six vehicles and a nearby building.
He revealed that the exact cause is still under investigation, no fatalities were reported, but two men suffered severe burns and were swiftly treated and transferred to LASUTH for further care.
The explosion damaged six vehicles and affected the second floor of a nearby two-story building.
