President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the nation’s armed forces, security, and intelligence agencies to intensify the clampdown on illegal refineries.
This followed reported deaths of many people after an illegal refinery exploded at Abaezi forest in the Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State.
Reacting to what he describes in a statement as a catastrophe and a national disaster, President Buhari says responsibility for the loss of lives and property must lie with the sponsors of the illegal refinery, who must all be caught and made to face justice.
In conveying the condolences and the full depth and range of the nation’s shock and trauma to the families of the victims, the Ohaji Egbema community, and the government and people of Imo State, the President urges community leaders, the police, and the secret service to never allow the occurrence of the heart-breaking incident in any part of the country again.
Bello Wakili
