At least 37 suspected oil thieves have reportedly died after inhaling toxic fumes while allegedly attempting to load stolen crude oil at Okari Jetty in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday when the victims were said to have joined hundreds of youths who converged on the jetty to load petroleum products from an illegally tapped pipeline.
Reports indicated that more than 200 people were at the location, where a vessel was also allegedly loading petroleum products, when the victims were exposed to dangerous fumes released from the crude oil.
Several of those affected reportedly collapsed into the river, while others who managed to escape were said to have developed severe respiratory complications and were receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Port Harcourt.
The Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), Dr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, confirmed the reported deaths, saying the organisation received information from its volunteers and human rights defenders operating in Okrika.
Fyneface said the victims allegedly inhaled a substance locally known as “Indorama fuel” while attempting to load the product through a vandalised pipeline connected to an illegal tapping point.
“The report stated that no fewer than 37 persons suspected to be oil thieves died after inhaling what is locally called ‘Indorama Fuel’. Many others are still missing,” he said.
He further disclosed that some bodies had reportedly been sighted floating on the river, although they had yet to be recovered.
Fyneface urged relevant authorities to launch a comprehensive investigation into the incident and called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit to the affected location.
He also condemned the continued vandalism of oil pipelines and called for tighter security around oil infrastructure across the region.
According to him, government intervention should go beyond enforcement by providing alternative livelihood opportunities for residents of communities affected by oil-related activities.
The Rivers State Police Command also confirmed the incident.
The command’s spokesperson, ASP Agabe Blessing Karbalo, said preliminary information indicated that the victims were allegedly attempting to steal crude oil when they were exposed to the toxic fumes.
She, however, noted that the command had not received any formal complaint regarding the incident but confirmed that an investigation had commenced.
“Investigation is ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and ascertain the facts,” she said.
The reported deaths have again drawn attention to the dangers associated with crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and unsafe handling of petroleum products in oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta
