DMEA: Shootout at Dangote

In DMEA this week we cover a shootout at Africa’s most eagerly anticipated industrial plant.

Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery came under attack this week as an armed group exchanged fire with security personnel during an attempt to steal equipment.

Lagos State Police Command reported that it had foiled an attempted attack on the refinery, which is scheduled to begin operations in September at an initial capacity of 540,000 barrels per day (bpd).

Public relations officer Benjamin Hundeyin said: “Armed hoodlums numbering about 20 who gained access to the refinery through the lagoon side were repelled while attempting to cart away already-installed armoured cables in the refinery.”

He said that the group fled as soon as they saw the security personnel, with one of the invaders killed in the ensuing exchange of gunfire.

The refinery, which is expected to reach its full 650,000 bpd capacity in early 2023, is seen playing a major role in Nigeria’s economy and Abuja has spoken extensively about the impact it anticipates from the plant. Given its importance, it is unsurprising that the police worked quickly to ‘fortify’ the facility, with Hundeyin noting that an investigation has been launched with the aim of arresting the remaining attackers.

In January, owner Aliko Dangote said that nearly all of the work on the oil-processing plant had already been finished. “Mechanical work on the refinery is complete, and hopefully before the end of third quarter we should be in the market ... Full production can start, maybe, by the end of the year or [the] beginning of 2023,” he was quoted as saying by Platts.