At least 43 suspected oil thieves have reportedly died after inhaling petroleum products at an illegal tapping point in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident reportedly occurred at about midnight on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at Okari Jetty in the Okrika Mainland area, where more than 200 youths from neighbouring communities had gathered to load petroleum products into locally made boats.
According to a community source, the youths were loading the product from an illegally tapped pipeline while a vessel anchored at the jetty was simultaneously loading petroleum products for export.
The source said the pungent odour from the product saturated the area during the operation, causing several people to collapse and fall into the river.
He said some of those who escaped the scene developed serious respiratory problems and were taken to hospitals for treatment.
The source said 37 of the victims had been identified as indigenes of Okrika, while six others remained unidentified. He added that several people were still missing following the incident.
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 had reported at least 37 deaths in Okrika.
The Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, said the victims were suspected to have died after inhaling what is locally known as “Indorama fuel”.
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According to Fyneface, the youths had connected a pipe to a tapping point on a pipeline that transported petroleum products from Indorama Eleme Petrochemical through the Port Harcourt Refinery to vessels that regularly came to load products for export.
He said the victims inhaled the product as it was being pumped at high pressure while a vessel was loading and the youths simultaneously filled their boats from the illegal tapping point.
Fyneface said some bodies had reportedly been seen floating on the river but had not yet been recovered, while several others remained missing.
He called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit to the site to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
He also urged companies whose facilities had been vandalized to strengthen security around their pipelines to prevent a recurrence.
Fyneface condemned the alleged sabotage and warned youths against tampering with 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 in the Niger Delta, including through modular refineries and the legalization of artisanal refining.
He said such measures could be pursued through initiatives including YEAC-Nigeria’s proposed Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative and the proposed Niger Delta Industrial Park.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Agabe Blessing Karbalo has said investigations were ongoing to determine the exact number of casualties and the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Newx Express
