That Nigeria is a country where wonders never end is not an exaggeration. Sometime in July 2007, there was fire explosion in Warri, which claimed about 17 lives, others sustained serious burns. As we were praying our only Refuge and Strength (God) to grant those who sustained injuries quick recovery, the ogre stretched its dreadful tails to Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, killing a woman and leaving two sisters ruthlessly burnt on Wednesday, August 1, 2007. Four persons were also confirmed dead in the unlawful petrol market in Oyuigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State, where 10 stalls, cars and other property worth over 10 million naira were destroyed.
On Sunday, August 5, 2007, the explosion killed a pregnant woman and her three children in same Port Harcourt. The children were six, 12 and 22 years, respectively. Others also sustained severe burns.
Madam Mercy (as she was fondly called), who was sent to her untimely grave on August 1, was said to be pouring a bottle of kerosene into a customer's container, when a lamp on a nearby table sparked fire; and an explosion immediately followed, throwing her, a cripple, from her chair to the ground. Her disability was said to have held back her flee as she fell on spilled contaminated kerosene, even as the stored quantity of the product augmented the fire, causing a huge ball of flame that threaten other houses in the area.
The explosion, which claimed two sisters in Okochiri Community, Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, happened at about 2:30 a.m., perilously burning the victims in their bed after one of them had woken up to put on the family lamp, following a blackout by Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). It was learnt that the killer kerosene was bought from a surface tank marketer who claimed to have bought the product from Eleme Refinery, Port Harcourt.
On the explosion that killed the said pregnant woman and her three daughters, we gathered, was sparked when the husband of the house attempted to light a lamp at about midnight. What followed after striking a stick of match was an explosion from the kerosene lamp, and within seconds, the room was on fire. It took the grace of God for the man to save his personal life, let alone members of his family. This brings us to the cause of the trend.
Just recently, I was told of how I would have either lost my life, wife and daughter inclusive, or hard-earned belongings, especially books and other documents in my apartment. There is one Agagaraga fondly called Mama Blessing, a native of Ogoja in Rivers State, that is involved in the illegal trade of petrol and kerosene in the compound; and there is another Agagaraga, a house-wife for that matter, that is allegedly specialised in thieving neighbours belongings. A day came the latter Agagaraga considered it fit to apparently steal the former Agagaraga's kerosene, only to later realised that what she had successfully stole was petrol, not kerosene, which she wanted to pour into her stove and lamp. Had she done that only God knew what would have happened thereafter! This is not a matter of poverty, but poor home training, covetousness, and demonic spirit.
There are over 15 tenants in the compound; and nobody seemed to be brave enough to confront the illegal petrol dealer to desist from such trade in the compound. My investigations revealed that while some were trying to do good face, others were merely afraid of not being killed mysteriously with diabolical means, considering the terrain of Lagos life. Some even argued that the trade is the only means of livelihood of the said Agagaraga. And I asked: Could one consciously afford to sacrifice the lives of his personal family and valuable property on the altar of someone's illegal trade? Some mediocre co-tenants replied: “It doesn't matter, and nothing will happen .” But I have vowed to fight this illegal trade in the compound with my last blood, moreso as the Agagaraga in question has boldly told me to do whatever I like. Said she: “No bi 2dey I dey dis bisness. For where I dey stay before for Ojo barracks, I dey do wam. For there, some people dey wey even buried drums for ground dey sell fuel. Anything you like do.” This sheer arrogance, acerbic and incendiary remark has made me to conclude that if the gods and juju of this Agagaraga could protect her and hurt me for daring to safe my family and others lives, whereas the gods and juju of my fatherland could not protect me and hurt her for putting our lives in great risk, then it high time I got rid of the gods and juju of my fatherland, including the Creator of heaven and earth.
The point I am trying to establish here is that we are the ones witching ourselves. The high rate of illiteracy, ignorance and fear of some self-acclaimed demi-gods in our fatherland, Nigeria, is doing us more harm than good.
The rising occurrence of killer kerosene may not be unrelated with the scarceness of the product and its increasing price. The inflated price at which marketers sell the product in a bid to take full advantage of profits at the expense of the buying public is believed to have lured many into patronising pipeline rats (vandals).
The killer product, according to sources at the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Warri, is not kerosene but condensate. Condensate is highly combustible, and is a lighter variant of crude oil. It is believed that some demonic elements use to add alum to the condensate and leave it to sediment for about a day before hauling out what resembles kerosene, which they put up for sale to the public and also use in their domestic cooking and lighting needs. But the truth is that condensate cannot be refined with alum for domestic use.
Mr. Ubaka Emelumadu, Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in charge of Western Division, said the killer kerosene was condensate illegally hollowed out from Otorogun Oil Field, and sold to unsuspecting members of the public as kerosene; just as he called on the Delta State Government to take appropriate actions towards getting rid of bunkering activities, noting, “bunkering endangers the lives of the people.”
The Deputy Governor, Chief (Prof.) Amos Utuama, SAN, who responded to the team led by Mr. Emelumadu, said, “This is a great concern to the State Government because it endangers public safety. We will continue to enlighten our people on the dangers of scooping petroleum products from burst pipes. The problem is a huge one, and it will require huge effort to stamp it out.”
Meanwhile, National President of Warri Ladies Vanguard (WLV), Mrs. Stella E. Popo, has called on the Federal Government to build a mega filling station in Warri, and without delay, take steps to ensuring it rehabilitates the Warri Refinery so as to make it operational to reduce the rampant incidence of killer kerosene and rummage sale of petrol in the area, saying if a mega filling station were in existence, the presence of killer kerosene and rummage sale of petrol would have been reduced drastically.
Mrs. Popo, who was at Warri General Hospital to sympathised with the Warri kerosene explosion victims, gave management of the Hospital N150,000 to assist the victims on behalf of WLV and Concerned Itsekiri Women in Lagos. Calling on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other law enforcement agencies to do all within their power to rein in the menace that has consumed lots of lives, she said WLV regretted that women and children were the most affected, because, according to her, they are the ones that often use the product.
Hawkers of killer kerosene and black market petrol dealers have taken over all the nooks and crannies of the country. Lovers of security must be aware of these monsters and be careful when buying kerosene, as well as report anyone found in the illegal trade to our law enforcement agencies. Most of all, since it is the duty of government to provide security of lives and property for its citizenry, we call on it to live up to its statutory obligation by ensuring these demonic and unwanted elements, including pipeline rats, are getting rid of our society.
