Dangote refinery records 22 sabotage incidents since inception – VP
Kola Oyelere Kano
The Dangote Group’s vice-president, Devakumar Edwin,,has said that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has faced 22 incidents of sabotage since inception.
He however noted that the Dangote Refinery started production on January 12, 2024, beginning with the production of diesel and aviation fuel, and later began processing petrol in September 2024.
Edwin, who made this known stated that the incidents of sabotage, said the recent reorganisation in the company that led to the sack of some workers, had nothing to do with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
The Dangote Group vice-president disclosed this during a tour of the refinery by Chief Bubaraye Dakolo, the King of Ekpetiama Kingdom and chairman of Bayelsa Traditional Rulers Council.
According to him,” the reorganisation was necessitated by multiple deliberate acts of sabotage targeted at disrupting production and damaging equipment in the refinery.”
He noted that the attempted sabotage were successfully contained due to the company’s advance technology.
“The reorganisation we did had nothing to do with PENGASSAN. We started facing incidences of sabotage. We have 22 incidences of sabotage.
“You are all aware. You have seen fires in the past, even in Kaduna refinery and some of the other refineries. There were attempted fire incidences.he said
Edwin added that ” I have the dates, the unit where it was done, and when it was done. All are documented data. Because you went to the master control room, you know that all the data are completely captured.”
He said the ultra-modern system of Dangote refinery prevented the sabotage from impacting its equipment.
He further disclosed that
“Somebody will open a valve to try to see if it will break down. Fortunately for us, by the grace of God, it’s a very ultra-modern refinery.”
“When somebody starts a fire somewhere, the fire protection system is so well, it is immediately controlled. Same way, when they try to break down an instrument by opening a valve or adjusting some instruments, some other instrument overrules it and stops. It is documented.
“So we started looking at it, we were a bit concerned somebody can just bring a major shift down, and a lot of investment has gone inside. That is why we did this massive reorganisation. It has nothing to do with PENGASSAN.”Edwin said
He then dismissed speculations that the refinery was facing operational or crude supply problems, describing the claims as “completely wrong” and part of a pattern of misinformation aimed at discrediting the refinery’s progress.
“We have been under repeated attacks. Initially, they said the refinery would never come up.
According to him at the initial stage ” Then they said it would not be commissioned or start production. Later, they spread false news about gas supply problems. Now, they are trying to insinuate operational breakdowns. None of that is true.”Edwin disclosed that the refinery currently has over 312 million litres of petrol in its storage tanks, aside from ongoing daily production.”
He however hinted that ” With
a processing capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, he said the plant was capable of meeting Nigeria’s entire demand for petrol, diesel (AGO) and aviation fuel (Jet A1), while still exporting nearly 50 per cent of its products. About 650 ships had loaded petroleum products for export from the refinery within the past year.
King Dakolo commended the Dangote Group for the scale and impact of the refinery, describing it as a “revolutionary investment” that must be sustained for the benefit of the Nigerian economy.