Recurring Pipeline Vandalism and Explosions

[Ete]

Ok, the unofficial death toll on last friday's pipeline explosion in Lagos State has the number at..."over 200 casualties".  It is estimated by other sources that close to 250 people died from that explosion.

A couple of things bother me here.

1.  This isn't the first of such incident, yet people still ignore the apparent dangers and readily scoop gas from busted pipelines. Why?  Each time, people vandalize oil pipelines, the riks of fatality is almost always certain because gasoline is highly flammable.  So why do people ignore these risks? Is this really all about survival, or sheer stupidity or just an outright determination to feel they too have outwitted the authorities?

2.  I am not sure whose pipeline was vandalized. I am assuming NNPC has control of the said pipeline.  Do the authorities have no way of tracking breaches on its pipelines? How come fuel pipelines can be breached for several days, which does not only pose a fire hazard danger, but also environment hazards as well, yet, no safety team is dispatced immediately  to the area of breach to have it secured.  Is that responsible business practice? Every single time it has happened, the results have been the same, and it becomes very apparent that nothing has been learnt from previous incidents.

3.  Granted that laws mean nothing in Nigeria, but are there laws anyway that carry any stiff penalty for vandalizing oil pipelines?

Please any insight from others on this issue will be appreciated.

[HUSNAA]

Ppl vandalize oil pipelines because they can. It is also a possibility that though it is a hazardous venture for those who risk their lives to do it, it seldom results in tragedy and that is why you never get to hear about it until there is some really horrendous accident. Given this premise, then it becomes a calculated but highly lucrative risk.
Even if the petroleum authorities have ways of tracking down the culprits, there is a disinclination on their part to invest in something, the returns of which will not line their pockets, that is assuming that the pipelines belong to the NNPC. These are my views.