An explosion has rocked the Trans-Niger Pipeline (TNP) at Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The explosion occurred late on Monday night (March 17) near the Bodo-Bonny Road under construction.

Thick black smoke was seen billowing into the atmosphere, with a raging fire spreading fast into the mangrove from a video that emerged this Tuesday morning.

The affected section of the major pipeline is currently on fire, though the exact cause of the explosion remains unknown at this time.

Authorities have yet to determine whether the incident resulted from human interference, especially amid recent threats by militant groups to attack oil installations in response to the Federal Government?s withholding of Rivers State?s allocation due to the ongoing political crisis.

The explosion occurred along the critical export pipeline that transports crude to the Bonny Terminal.

The TNP is a federal transport line that supplies oil to the Bonny Export Terminal in Rivers State.

When contacted, the Police spokesperson in the state, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she would find out and get back to our reporter, though she had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report. (Pieced together from reports by Vanguard and The PUNCH)

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