The attacks on the Niger-Benin crude oil pipeline pose a significant environmental threat due to the adverse impacts of oil spills and large-scale fires in the affected areas.

Since 2024, the pipeline, which transports crude oil to neighbouring Benin, has been the target of multiple attacks. notable incidents include:

January 2025: An attack occurred near Mounsteka in the Tahoua region, causing significant disruption. 

December 2024: A bombing between Lido and Karakara in the Dosso region damaged the pipeline. The military leader of Niger Republic, General Abdourahmane Tchiani accused Nigeria of supporting the armed group behind the attack.

July 2024: the Niger-Benin pipeline was sabotaged once again near the village of Muntseka in Konni. The incident reportedly occurred between Konni and Yaya.

June 2024: Niger’s military junta confirmed that rebels had damaged a section of the pipeline. The Patriotic Liberation Front, which is fighting for the release of former president Mohamed Bazoum, who was overthrown in a coup last July, claimed it was behind the attack in the Zinder region.

Satellite image captured on December 18, 2024, reveals what appears to be oil spills resulting from the sabotage of the Niger-Benin crude oil pipeline. Notably, the spill between Lido and Karakara was absent in imagery from December 13, 2024.

If attacks on the Niger-Benin pipeline persist, they will result in significant economic losses and environmental degradation. This situation is evident in neighbouring Nigeria, where attacks on oil pipelines have exacerbated environmental pollution and led to the destruction of biodiversity.

NASA’s FIRMS detected thermal activity in the area between Lido and Karakara