Nigeria ups petrol security

2006-05-13 20:31

Ilado - Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo ordered increased security around the country's petrol pipelines on Saturday, following a petrol conduit explosion that killed 200 people on Friday.

On Saturday, rescue workers continued to bury the dead in mass graves.

On Saturday, 22 charred bodies were seen floating in mangrove swamps 8km from Ilado village, where the petrol pipeline exploded.

Those killed were villagers scavenging the pipeline for fuel.

Residents of the area said impoverished villagers had been pilfering petrol from the pipelines for years, and that Friday's blast would not end the practice.

"This has been going on for a long time, those people were just unlucky they caught fire this time," said Hakim Bolaji, 32. "People are making so much money from selling stolen petrol that I'm sure they'll come back."

Obasanjo described the situation as "grave" and ordered an investigation into the cause of the blast, reported Radio Nigeria on Saturday.

- AP