Abia Explosion: There are many conflicting reports concerning the number of the dead - Nigerian officials.

The Friday’s pipeline explosion of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Umuaduru and Umuimo villages in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of Abia State, Officials, including of the state government, the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) and a senator are offering widely conflicting figures, less than a week after the disaster. 

On Wednesday a former governor of the state, Theodore Orji, said the Initial reports stated that at least 24 persons were confirmed dead from the incident was grossly inaccurate. Mr Ojri said the death toll had reached 150, he said this at the Senate chamber.

Even after Mr Orji spoke, NEMA and the Abia State Government were still insisting on vastly different figures, demonstrating an alarming shoddiness in disaster management in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Evans Ugho, Abia State NEMA head of operations in Imo and Abia, said that the records of the agency showed 60 persons died. The figure was obtained when officials of the agency visited the scene the day after the incident.

”The incident happened on Friday so on Saturday in the evening before we left, the total number of death was 60,” he said.

”Many of the victims were taken to the hospital, there was also information that more people transferred at different locations died. So we cannot confirm the (present) figure,” Mr Ugho added.

He confirmed there are many conflicting reports concerning the number of the dead. There are various published sources. A newspaper said the youths said 115 died, the traditional rulers said 200 people died, so there are conflicting stories everywhere. And they said as at Saturday many people were dying.”