The Nigerian Navy has said the loud explosion set off Thursday night by unknown men near the jetty of the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company, WRPC, and the Pipeline Products Marketing Company, PPMC, resulted from a foiled attempt by militants to attack both facilities in Ekpan, Uvwie council area, Delta State.

Commodore Joseph Dzunve, Commander Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS, Delta said this in Warri yesterday after residents in communities surrounding both public assets were jolted by loud explosion on the Warri creek at about 9:30 pm.

“Our men fired at a boat suspected to be carrying explosive materials. They must have dropped it in the process and it got hit by our fire, that’s why it exploded. So we adjudge that it was an attempt to sabotage the PPMC,” Dzunve stated yesterday.

ACP Mohammed Muazu, Commander, Warri Area Command of the Nigerian Police corroborated that. He said: “I heard some people came close to the jetty and the navy stopped them suspecting they had come for something mischievous.

“When they refused to stop, the navy shot just to scare them away. What followed the shooting was that explosion, but what I don’t know yet is whether the shooting caused the explosion. I got this information from about three sources.”

•Text courtesy of Nigerian Pilot. Photo shows Nigerian Navy operatives on patrol.

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