Fear grips Niger community over location of gas plants

For years, residents of Bakin-Iku, popularly known as Kaduna Road in Suleja, Niger State, have been battling to stop the operation of two gas plants located in their community, ironically to serve their cooking needs. The residents are worried because of the danger associated with such plants, especially in the event of fire incident as […]

For years, residents of Bakin-Iku, popularly known as Kaduna Road in Suleja, Niger State, have been battling to stop the operation of two gas plants located in their community, ironically to serve their cooking needs.

The residents are worried because of the danger associated with such plants, especially in the event of fire incident as they are situated within 200 meters apart, along the highway that links the area with Suleja city centre.

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One of the residents of the community, Malam Haruna Tukura, said they were worried because incidents from such gas plants in some places had led to the death of many innocent people. 

“In 2019, we called the attention of all the concerned authorities not to allow the project take place, but in vain. We complained to the community’s ward head, village and district heads, and finally, the Suleja Emirate Council. 

“We also wrote to the National Assembly, Fire Service, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Niger State’s environmental agency, as well as the state High Court, which had issued an injunction for the project to be stopped. But the owners of the project appealed the matter at a Federal High Court, where they succeeded in securing a vacation to the injunction order and continued with their work,” he said.    

He added that it was later resolved that the two cases be withdrawn and the issues discussed outside the courts.  

 “A delegate from the state government had also embarked on a fact-finding visit, but months after, there was no feedback; hence we took the matter to some relevant federal agencies,” he also said. 

Tukura said that when they took the matter to the Federal Ministry of Environment, it was discovered that an environmental impact assessment report had not been issued on the project.  

“This led us to visit the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), after which its officials visited the sites and wrote a comprehensive report to the agency responsible for issuing licenses. But unfortunately, nothing has been done. 

“Again, the NOSDRA took the matter directly to the Ministry of Petroleum, which directed the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), formerly known as the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), to withdraw the licence for the project; but in reality, nothing has been stopped as they went ahead until the two facilities were commissioned for operation,” Tukura further said. 

Another resident of the community, Nuhu Hussaini, told Daily Trust Saturday that they insisted the two gas plants be removed from the area because of the presence of public institutions there, as well as many houses that could be affected in the event of a fire incident. 

“The facilities are in the midst of residential houses, a central mosque and a church. There are also primary and secondary schools there, among others,” he said. 

Hussaini wondered why the Niger State Government would not emulate its Kaduna counterpart, which directed that all gas plants situated around residential and public buildings be removed to avoid loss of lives. 

He narrated how a petroleum filling station situated opposite one of the gas plants caught fire recently, saying, “The fire started about 4pm and continued until 10pm when it was eventually put off by firefighters.

“Two trucks were burnt down during the incident, which led to panic among residents, such that many of us had to vacate our homes for fear of a possible disaster that could occur if the fire spread to the gas plant,” he said, adding that a number of children got missing during the stampede to flee the area. 

Hussaini also recalled an incident of a gas plant explosion near the Zuma military barracks, which he said was even a lonely location but three people reportedly died. 

“There was also one on the outskirts of Lafia in Nassawa State, which resulted to loss of many lives,” he said, and reiterated the call by the community to the state government in particular to relocate the two gas facilities.

When our reporter visited the zonal office of the NUPRC in Abuja, which supervises the agency’s activities in all the North Central states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a senior official who would not want his name mentioned because he was not authorised to speak, acknowledged that the commission was aware of the development. He added that the matter had already been handled by their Minna office, which he disclosed supervised the area. 

He said that to the best of his knowledge, owners of the two gas plants were not granted an operational licence when the community started complaining, saying they were in the first stage of site approval, which, according to him, was suspended following complaints by residents. 

“The operators were directed to resolve the issue with leaders of the community, which was done, as we were made to understand. They later complied with all the required safety measures and went ahead to apply for licence, which was eventfully granted based on their compliance,” he said.

But one of the residents debunked the claim, saying community leaders did not at any time approve the construction of the gas plants in the area. 

All efforts to speak with owners or officials of the gas plants were not successful as none of them was present at the two sites when Daily Trust Saturday visited on two occasions, just as calls to phone numbers posted there were not answered, neither were text messages responded to.