Catastrophe: Armed Forces, others must hold owners of illegal oil refineries responsible ―Presidency

*President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies to track down owners of illegal oil-refining sites, describing last week’s deaths from explosions as a ‘catastrophe and a national disaster’

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Against the backdrop of explosions and untimely deaths of about 100 people resulting from illegal oil-refining activities at the weekend, the Nigerian Presidency has insisted that the owners of the particular illegal refinery that exploded in Abaezi forest, in the Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, must be held accountable for the deaths that occurred.

ConsumerConnect reports Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement issued Sunday, April 24, 2022, in Abuja, FCT, said President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the country’s Armed Forces, security and intelligence agencies to intensify the clampdown on illegal refineries following the reported deaths of tens of people Friday night at the illegal refinery.

Scene of the disaster in Abaezi forest, Imo State

The statement also described the incident as a “catastrophe and a national disaster.” Shehu stated President Buhari said responsibility for the loss of lives and property must squarely lie with the sponsors of the illegal refinery, “who must all be caught and made to face justice.”

Conveying “the condolences and the full depth and range of the nation’s shock and trauma” to the families of the victims, the Ohaji Egbema community and the government and people of Imo State, the President urged community leaders, the Police, and the Secret Service (DSS) to never allow the occurrence of the heart-breaking incident in any part of the country again.