Environmental group calls for independent investigation of Abia pipeline explosion

The Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development (FENRAD Nigeria) has called for an independent, scientific inquiry into the recent crude oil pipeline explosion that occurred in the Owaza community of Ukwa West Local Government Area in Abia State, destroying farms, houses and livestock.

According to FENRAD, the incident has highlighted the serious environmental, public health and safety risks associated with Nigeria’s aging oil and gas infrastructure.

The demands were outlined in a statement issued on Saturday by FENRAD’s Executive Director, Nelson Nnanna Nwafor.

It urged the immediate establishment of a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) that would include representatives from the Federal Ministry of Environment, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Abia State Ministry of Environment, the pipeline operator, community representatives, independent environmental experts, and civil society organisations.

The statement added that “Such a Joint Investigation Visit is critical to establish the precise cause of the explosion, determine the extent of environmental contamination, assess socio-economic impacts on affected communities, and recommend appropriate remediation and compensation measures.”

FENRAD maintained that host communities should not continue to bear a disproportionate burden of environmental degradation caused by aging energy infrastructure.

While commending the Abia State government for visiting the explosion sites, the group called for a comprehensive Pipeline Integrity Assessment (PIA) of the entire pipeline corridor that traverses Owaza and neighbouring communities.

According to the group, the integrity assessment should comprise corrosion evaluation, wall‑thickness testing, hydrostatic pressure testing where appropriate, leak‑detection system evaluation, geotechnical stability assessment, and a comprehensive risk analysis to determine the infrastructure’s operational safety.

The group, stating that affected communities in Owaza deserve prompt environmental restoration, transparent disclosure of findings and adequate compensation for verified losses, called on regulatory agencies to strengthen oversight and enforce strict compliance with pipeline integrity management programmes across the oil‑producing region.