The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) has confirmed a pipeline explosion at Aleto in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, with reports that nearby buildings were affected and some residents hospitalised.
The organisation disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday, October 15, 2026, by its Executive Director, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface.
According to YEAC-Nigeria, volunteers from the organisation visited the scene to independently verify the incident and confirmed the presence of officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The statement said the explosion was ongoing as of the time of its release, adding that the organisation had yet to independently establish whether any lives were lost.
Although the cause of the explosion had not been independently verified, the organisation said it was allegedly linked to a pipeline rupture resulting from equipment failure at a facility believed to belong to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd).
YEAC-Nigeria called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to identify the operator of the affected facility and conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to determine the cause and extent of the incident.
It also urged the agency to invoke relevant provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, where applicable.
The organisation stressed the need for a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the explosion and ensure that appropriate measures were taken in response to the incident.
