A fire broke out at a tank farm in Apapa, Lagos State, which the Lagos Fire Service initially reported as belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). However, the NNPCL has denied that the incident occurred at its depot, stating instead that the fire originated from a pipeline at Honeywell Oil and Gas (HOGL).
The fire incident came to public attention through a video circulating on social media on Friday morning. Confirming the incident, Amodu Shakiru, Director of Public Affairs for the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, stated that they received an emergency call at 11:27 am and had dispatched firefighters to the scene.
Shakiru mentioned that the fire broke out at the new NNPC Terminal, formerly OVH, on Kayode Street, Marine Beach, Apapa. He explained that the fire was caused by a spillage of petroleum products within the perimeter of the tank farm.
Margaret Adeseye, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Fire Service, noted that multiple emergency responders within the oil and gas industry were collaborating to control the situation. She assured the public that the emergency operations were preventing further escalation.
Contradicting the Fire Service’s report, NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye clarified that the fire was not at the NNPC depot but at a pipeline at the Honeywell depot. Soneye confirmed that the fire had been extinguished and labeled the Lagos State Fire Service's report as "false."
"The fire is at a pipeline at HOGL. It has since been extinguished. It's at the Honeywell depot, not NNPC," Soneye stated in messages to our correspondent.
