Respite is yet to return to Rivers State as another explosion reportedly struck the Soku oil facility in the Akuku-Toru Local Government Area on Sunday, days after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state.
The latest incident affected the Soku facility, operated by Nigeria Liquefied and Natural Gas Limited, marking the third in a series of attacks on critical infrastructure in Rivers State.
Text messages and calls to the company’s spokesperson, Andy Odeh, had yet to be answered at the time of filing this report.
Commenting on the reported explosion, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said: “We have yet to receive any report of such an incident.”
An insider at NLNG stated that the company would address the situation on Monday.
However, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria, confirmed the explosion on Sunday.
“
An explosion accompanied by fireballs was heard and seen in the sky from the facility area, which is difficult to access. The fire is still ongoing at the time of this report, as shown in short videos shared with the organisation by youth volunteers of YEAC-Nigeria,” the centre said.
In sharp contrast, the Soku Kingdom has dismissed reports of an explosion as false.
The General Secretary of Soku Kingdom, Mr Witness Alasia, stated that it was a fire outbreak, not an explosion, along the Soku-Abua-Rumuji right of way, adding that the Soku gas plant—one of the major feeders of the nation’s economy—remains safe and fully operational.
“On behalf of the leadership of the Soku Kingdom, I write to debunk the falsehood circulating on social media that there was an explosion at the Soku Gas Plant. It is disheartening and worrisome that people would mischievously misinform the public with a baseless and untrue story.”
“The public should disregard this misleading and unverified report. We take this opportunity to assure everyone that Soku and its satellite communities are safe and calm. Regards,” part of the statement read.
The incident comes just days after an explosion rocked the Trans Niger Pipeline in the Bodo, Gokana, and Omwawriwa communities in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Similarly, on 19 March 2025, a fire broke out at the Port Harcourt refinery.
Recall that on 18 March 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers and announced the suspension of democratically elected authorities.
On Thursday, the National Assembly approved Tinubu’s state of emergency declaration in Rivers State.
The sole administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd), has since assumed office following his appointment by Tinubu.