Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has condemned the gas pipeline explosion in Aleto, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, demanding an independent investigation, accountability for negligence and the decommissioning or removal of pipelines found unsafe for continued operation.

The explosion, which occurred on October 15, 2026, damaged homes, shops and vehicles and injured residents. HOMEF visited the scene on October 16 and documented disturbing accounts that the incident was preceded by reports of a suspected gas leak along the same pipeline corridor. The incident has raised urgent questions about pipeline maintenance, emergency preparedness, corporate responsibility and the protection of communities living alongside ageing petroleum infrastructure.

Aleto lies within one of Nigeria’s major oil, gas and industrial corridors, surrounded by critical petroleum infrastructure, including two refineries, gas pipelines and petrochemical facilities. Despite Eleme’s strategic importance to Nigeria’s energy economy, the latest explosion involving a facility operated by the Nigeria Gas Infrastructure Company Limited (NGIC), a subsidiary of NNPC Limited, has exposed residents to renewed danger, destroyed property and disrupted economic activities.

Comrade Woke John Ebie, Youth President of Aleto and Secretary of the Eleme Youth Council Worldwide, told HOMEF that another leak occurred approximately two months earlier, about 200 metres from the site of the latest explosion.

He, however, said the community had reported a suspected leak shortly before the incident, prompting a visit by company representatives who erected a barricade.

“A suspected leak happened about two weeks before this explosion; we reported it to the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), a subsidiary of NNPC Limited. The company representatives visited the location and erected a barricade, but the explosion occurred the following day,” he said.

The Chairman of Eleme Local Government Area, Barrister Obarilomate Ollor, said the recurring pipeline incidents along the route demanded a comprehensive assessment rather than repairs limited to visibly damaged sections.

Ollor expressed concern that the pipeline could be at least 50 years old and called on the Federal Government to direct the relevant authorities to investigate the explosion, provide relief to victims and assess the condition of the entire pipeline network.

“The pipeline could be at least 50 years old. A 50-year-old pipeline is beyond decrepit and should have been replaced or decommissioned long ago; we are concerned about its condition and about another gas leak that occurred along the same route weeks earlier,” he said.

He urged the Federal Government to direct NGC to establish the cause of the explosion, attend to victims, provide relief materials and undertake a comprehensive review of its pipeline network, including the replacement of ageing infrastructure where necessary.

The explosion has also taken a toll on residents’ livelihoods, with victims recounting the destruction and losses they suffered while fleeing the incident.

Fasilatula Waakikeloma, who said she was inside her shop when the explosion occurred, appealed to the government to intervene.

“The government should do something. This thing is terrible. I have never seen this kind of thing in my life,” she said.

Another victim, Esther Victor Bright, said the explosion damaged goods in her shop and forced her to abandon her belongings while escaping.

She also disclosed that she lost a point-of-sale bag containing approximately ₦100,000.

“I lost a POS bag containing approximately ₦100,000 while fleeing the explosion. We are struggling here, financially, and even just to breathe. This explosion is already destroying livelihoods and pushing our households into financial distress,” she said.

The Paramount Ruler of Aleto and King of Eleme, His Royal Majesty, King Dr Philip Osaro Obele, described the community as a major contributor to Nigeria’s economy, despite the environmental and safety risks its residents face.

“Eleme is the heart and hub of Nigeria's economy. We have two refineries, two fertiliser companies, a petrochemical plant, Onne Deep Sea and Light Terminals, Shell flow stations, and the largest NNPC Housing Estate in the East. Pipelines criss-cross our land to serve the nation. We are the golden bird that lays the golden eggs, but after taking our resources, they kill us with pollution and explosions,” he said.

The traditional ruler also raised concerns about acid rain, damaged roofing sheets, unsafe drinking water, declining soil fertility and reported health problems, calling for urgent government intervention.

He supported the call for a state of emergency covering the entire Eleme Local Government Area, rather than Aleto alone, and urged the Federal Government and NGC to take immediate steps to address recurring gas leaks and protect lives and property.

HOMEF said the accounts from residents raised serious questions about the pipeline operator’s response to reported warnings and the effectiveness of regulatory oversight.

The foundation maintained that the incident was not merely a case of pipeline damage requiring repairs, but another warning about the risks borne by communities situated along critical oil and gas infrastructure.

It called for the establishment of the pipeline’s installation date, maintenance history and structural integrity, insisting that infrastructure found unfit for continued operation must be decommissioned or removed.

According to HOMEF, repeated repairs cannot serve as an adequate response where ageing or unsafe pipelines continue to expose residents to potentially fatal incidents.

The organisation stressed that host communities must not be treated as expendable corridors for extractive infrastructure, adding that the responsibility for preventing industrial disasters rests with operators and regulatory institutions, not residents forced to flee explosions and rebuild their lives.

HOMEF called on the Federal Government to direct NGIC, NNPC Limited and relevant regulatory agencies to conduct an independent investigation into the explosion, publish their findings and establish the technical cause of the incident, including any failures in the response to reported leaks.

It also demanded the decommissioning or removal of unsafe pipelines and a wider integrity assessment of the affected corridor before operations resume.

The foundation further urged regulatory authorities to investigate possible operational failures and impose appropriate sanctions where negligence or breaches of applicable obligations are established.

It called for medical assistance and fair compensation for injured residents and those whose homes, businesses and livelihoods were damaged, while demanding that community members be involved in safety assessments, monitoring and decisions affecting their welfare.