A youth leader in Ikarama near the location of the incident, Ben Warder, yesterday, told osprimetv.com that residents heard several explosions that rocked the oil fields on Monday, but were too scared to approach the site.

“The location is not far from Ikarama, we heard sounds from the blast that sounded like dynamites and it was not safe to go near the facilities. So, when the situation calmed down, we had to trace what happened and it turned out that Shell’s gas pipeline and Agip’s crude lines were destroyed.

“The incident resulted in air pollution from the gas pipeline and crude leaks, which members of the affected communities are now battling to cope with,” Warder said on telephone.

Confirming the incident, an SPDC Spokesman, Michael Adande, explained that the oil firm had received reports of the incident and shut down the facility shortly afterwards to curtail impact.

“We have report of an interference on our pipeline about one kilometre from Ikarama Community in Bayelsa State. We immediately shut-in the line and we have informed the regulatory agencies and stakeholders.

“A joint investigation team led by government officials will determine the cause of the interference,” Adande said.