A fire outbreak was reported at the effluent treatment plant of Dangote Refinery on Wednesday.
This is coming at a time when the refinery is embroiled in a controversy over accusations of importation of “dirty fuel” by international oil companies and oil marketers in Nigeria.
A viral video of the fire incident, seen by Arbiterz showed thick, dark smoke rising from the facility.
The cause of the fire incident had yet to be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.
In a statement confirming a “minor fire incident” at the facility sent to Arbiterz, the management of Dangote Refinery stated that the fire was “swiftly contained.
The statement assured that there was no record of “injury or body” in the incident, assuring the public that there was no cause for alarm.
“We have swiftly contained a minor fire incident at our effluent treatment plant (ETP), today Wednesday 26th of June.
“There is no cause for alarm as the refinery is operating and there is no recorded injury or body harm to all our staff on duty,” it stated.
The Ongoing Controversy
Dangote Refinery recently accused IOCs of inflating crude oil prices to sabotage its operations.
The Refinery also condemned the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for allegedly allowing the import of substandard refined products despite the refinery’s compliance with ECOWAS regulations.
Dangote added, “Despite our efforts to produce diesel that meets ECOWAS regulations and standards, large quantities of ultra-high sulphur diesel from Russia are being imported into Nigeria under licences issued by NMDPRA.”
Responding to the allegations, the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) accused Dangote of disseminating “inaccurate information.”
Read more: Dangote accuses international oil companies of sabotaging refinery operations
Also read: Dangote Refinery, fuel marketers trade words over ‘dirty fuel’ allegations
