PICTURES OF SCENES OF PIPE OIL FIRES AT ADEJE IN NIGERIA'S NIGER DELTA (Recorded By BBC)
July 2000
Adeje petroleum fire broke out on Monday, 10 July, 2000, from
pipelines owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria. It burned for
days. In two separate reports several months previously,
on 11 January 2000
and on
14 February 2000
, Environmental Rights Action, Nigeria's premier environmental
advocacy group, had warned about these impending dangers from troubled
oil pipelines. No adequate action was taken to prevent the disaster to
which these pictures now bear witness. The troubled pipelines were
laid near communities about twenty-five years ago. Apart from ageing
from lack of proper maintenance, the pipes have been subjected to
vandalization by sophisticated thieves who use equipment that are only
available to insiders who have worked in the industry. The victims are
the local communities which lie near the areas where Nigeria's Federal
Government laid these pipes without consultation or any risk
assessment.
