No fewer than 37 suspected oil thieves have reportedly died after inhaling toxic petroleum fumes during an illegal loading operation at Okari Jetty in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Several others are also feared missing following the incident, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday at Okrika Mainland.
The victims were reportedly part of a large group of youths who had gathered at the waterfront to siphon petroleum products through an illegal connection while a vessel was loading at the jetty.
The Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, confirmed the deaths, saying the organisation received reports from its network of youth volunteers and human rights defenders across the Niger Delta.
According to Fyneface, no fewer than 37 people had been confirmed dead after inhaling what residents referred to as “Indorama fuel.”
He explained that the illegal operators allegedly connected a pipe to a tapping point on a pipeline conveying petroleum products from the Indorama Eleme Petrochemical area through the Port Harcourt Refinery to vessels.
Fyneface said the illegal loading was reportedly taking place simultaneously with the loading of the product into a vessel when the victims were exposed to fumes from the petroleum product being pumped under high pressure.
He said, “The report further stated that while a vessel was loading the product and the men were simultaneously loading into their waiting boats from the illegal tapping point, they inhaled the product being pumped at high pressure.
“This led to the death of not fewer than 37 persons. Many are still missing, and some corpses have been seen floating on the river but have not yet been recovered.”
Sources said the fumes overwhelmed people at the jetty, causing some to collapse, while others reportedly fell into the river as they attempted to escape.
Several survivors were said to have experienced breathing difficulties and were taken to hospitals for treatment.
The exact number of people involved in the illegal operation and the final casualty figure remained unclear as of Thursday afternoon.
The Rivers State Police Command confirmed the incident, saying an investigation had commenced to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine the actual number of casualties.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Agabe Blessing Karbalo, said the command was investigating the incident.
Reacting to the tragedy, Fyneface called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit to the site to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
He also urged companies whose facilities were allegedly vandalised to strengthen security around their pipelines and other oil infrastructure.
The advocacy group condemned the alleged sabotage and warned youths in the region against tampering with oil and gas infrastructure, particularly because of the dangers associated with high-pressure petroleum products.
However, the organisation called on the government to provide alternative livelihood opportunities for youths involved in artisanal oil activities.
It also renewed its call for the establishment of modular refineries and an industrial park in the Niger Delta to create alternative economic opportunities for people involved in illegal refining.
The incident occurred amid intensified military operations against crude oil theft and illegal refining in the Niger Delta.
The Defence Headquarters recently said troops operating under Operation Delta Safe deactivated 21 illegal refining sites and recovered about 696,800 litres of stolen crude oil and petroleum products across the South-South in August.
The military also disclosed that 43 suspects were arrested and 38 civilians rescued during the operations.
Thursday’s incident was not the first deadly petroleum-related incident at Okari Jetty.
In August 2023, an explosion and fire linked to the scooping of petroleum products at the jetty reportedly killed several people and caused environmental damage, including the death of aquatic life.
Following the latest incident, residents were reportedly searching the waterways for people who may have fallen into the river while attempting to escape the fumes.
The identities of several of the deceased had yet to be established as of the time of filing the report.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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