A gallant Nigerian soldier identified as LCFL Nnaemeka Sunday Evoh has been confirmed as one of the victims of a pipeline explosion that occurred on Friday, in Osisioma Local Government Area of Abia State.
24 persons were burnt to death in the explosion which happened in the early hours of that fateful day. The victims included a nursing mother, two other soldiers. Several others were said to have sustained various degrees of burns and we’re rushed to hospital.
Confirming the development after he visited the scenes of the explosion at Umuaduru and Umuimo in Osisioma LGA, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Anthony Ogbizi, said the explosion occurred due to spillage from a pipeline used to pump petrol from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) deport in Abia.
“According to the information from the NNPC depot manager in Aba, the spillage occurred from a pipeline that was undergoing maintenance,” he said.
“He said they were instructed test run the pipeline to ascertain its level of functionality. When we visited the two communities, we were informed that 14 people were reported dead at Umuimo village , while 10 died at Umuduru community . Some of victims who sustained various degrees of burns were said to be asleep when the incident occurred . They were said to have been taken to nearby hospitals and traditional medicine homes for treatment.”
Ogbizi said the police and other security agencies in the state were investigating the plausible cause of the explosion.
A friend Kelvin Chinedu described him as a great warrior.
“What a tragedy and agony? My great warrior is gone,you have been in battle with Boko Haram all this years, you visited home with songs of victory thanking God who have been with you. Am mute nd speechless over your departure, have no right to question the almighty God. He gives and at the due time he has received ur soul bk. God 9t De Nnaemeka …bye bye my warrior” he wrote.
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