New evidence obtained by BBC Africa Eye contradicts the official explanation for the cause of an explosion that killed 23 people and destroyed a girls' boarding school in Lagos, Nigeria.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the country’s state-owned oil firm, claimed the explosion occurred as a result of a truck that hit gas cylinders near one of its petroleum pipelines.

But new evidence indicates this official explanation for the cause of the blast, that decimated over 100,000 square metres of Lagos, is incorrect.

The blast occurred in Soba, a residential neighbourhood of Lagos on March 15th 2020 at 8:56 am. New video evidence filmed at the explosion site, five minutes before the blast, shows a catastrophic leak of vaporised liquid at the exact location where the NNPC high-pressure petroleum pipeline runs beneath the ground through that area.

The BBC found there was no gas processing plant at the explosion’s epicentre. Moreover, analysis of gas cylinders found at the site after the blast indicates they could not have been at the centre of the explosion when it happened.

Three specialist engineers - experts in LPG gas safety, in petroleum pipeline safety, and in explosions analysis - who have examined video footage all confirm the huge leak of vaporised liquid could not have come from gas cylinders.

Eyewitnesses the BBC heard from corroborated this. None of them mentioned gas cylinders or saw a collision. But four of them independently said the leak was coming out of the ground beside the heavily laden truck.

The evidence the BBC has uncovered indicates the heavily laden truck stopped on an eroded, unsurfaced road that had been softened by rainwater. This could have pressured the pipeline to breaking point, releasing a cloud of vapourised flammable petroleum product that ignited.

But petroleum pipeline safety expert, Dr Ambisisi Ambituuni, told the BBC the System 2B pipeline network has: “been in existence for way over the lifespan of the pipeline”.  He asked: “How is it so difficult for the operator to maintain the safety of those pipelines?”

After watching the film, Ebun Olu Adegboruwa, Human Rights Activist & senior Lawyer says: “Incidences of fire disasters have become commonplace for Lagosians. It just more or less reiterates the need for the government to be responsive and to hold accountable those who are working in the sector in terms of maintaining global best practice in their operation.”

Akinbode Oluwafemi, Environmental Rights Activist and Executive Director, Corporate Accountability & Public Participation Africa says: “My first ask is that, for the first time, the government should sit down to watch this documentary and set up an independent panel on pipelines explosions in Nigeria and use this as a case study.  Lagos State government too needs to start thinking how do we protect the people from these serial explosions."

The NNPC was contacted and denied the pipeline was inadequately protected, reaffirmed their explanation for the explosion’s cause, and said there was no leakage prior to the explosion.

They also said: “NNPC pipelines comply with safety and regulatory guidelines” and that they: “worked closely with the Lagos State Government in providing a N2bn relief fund for the victims of the explosion”.

For further information you please contact the BBC World Service communications Marina.Forsythe@bbc.co.uk and Mobile/WhatsApp: +44 (0) 7720 671 372.