By Daniel Abia, P/Harcourt
PANIC has gripped Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State following an incident in which several persons suspected of illegally siphoning petroleum products reportedly died after inhaling toxic fumes.
While community sources put the death toll at 43, the Rivers State Police Command said it could not confirm the actual number of casualties, stressing that investigation into the incident was ongoing.
The incident reportedly occurred around midnight on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at Okari Jetty in the Okrika Mainland area.
It was gathered that a vessel had anchored at a jetty along the river to load petroleum products for export when more than 200 people, mostly youths from neighbouring communities, allegedly arrived in locally made boats to siphon the product from an illegal tapping point.
A community source said that while the loading operation was underway, the pungent fumes from the petroleum product reportedly saturated the area, causing several of the persons at the scene to collapse.
According to the source, some victims fell into the river, while others who escaped suffered serious respiratory complications and were taken to hospitals for treatment.
The source claimed that 37 bodies had been identified as indigenes of Okrika, while six others were yet to be identified. Many people were also reportedly missing.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) also confirmed the incident, saying its network of youth volunteers and human rights defenders in the Niger Delta reported that at least 37 people had died after inhaling what was locally described as “Indorama fuel.”
Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, said the incident occurred during an alleged attempt to illegally load the product into boats.
He said the victims had reportedly connected a pipe to a tapping point on a pipeline said to transport petroleum products from Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals through the Port Harcourt Refinery to vessels that visit the area to load products for export.
Fyneface said the product was being pumped at high pressure when the victims allegedly inhaled the fumes, resulting in multiple deaths.
He added that some bodies had reportedly been sighted floating on the river but had yet to be recovered, while several others remained missing.
Fyneface called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the site to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
He also urged companies whose facilities were allegedly vandalised to strengthen security around their pipelines to prevent similar incidents.
While condemning the alleged act of pipeline vandalism and illegal siphoning, Fyneface warned youths against approaching oil and gas infrastructure, citing the dangers associated with high-pressure petroleum products.
He also called on the government to provide alternative livelihood opportunities for artisanal refiners and other vulnerable residents in the Niger Delta.
However, the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Blessing Agabe Kaborio, said the command could not confirm the reported death toll.
Kaborio said: “A number of people who went to scoop crude oil died in the process. I cannot volunteer the actual figure now because investigation is still ongoing.”
The police said the investigation would establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the actual number of casualties.
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