Group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, has accused religious leaders in the country of vandalising crude oil pipelines.
Speaking on Tuesday during the Ministerial briefing at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Kyari said security agencies tasked with protecting crude oil installations are also involved in destroying same for personal gains.
According to the NNPC boss, some pipelines are connected to homes, churches and mosques.
“When a fire outbreak happened in one of our pipelines, we discovered that some of the pipelines were actually connected to individuals’ homes,” Kyari announced.
He continued: “And not only that, and with all sensitivity to our religious beliefs, you know, some of the pipelines and some of the products that we found, are actually in churches and in mosques.
“That means that everybody is involved. There is no way you will take products, bring them in trucks in populated neighbourhoods, load them, and leave without everybody else knowing about it. Everybody includes members of the community, members of the religious leaders and also and most likely government officials of all natures, including security agencies personnel.
Kyari stated that Nigeria would stop importing refined petroleum products by mid-2023.