By Obiabin Onukwugha
No fewer than 37 persons have reportedly died trying to illegally siphon petroleum products from a barge into a ship at Okrika community, Okrika local government area of Rivers State.
The incident, which was reported by the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), indicated that the suspected thieves died in the early hours of Thursday after inhaling what is known in local parlance as “Indorama Fuel” during the act.
YEAC-Nigeria said it received and confirmed the report from its network of youth volunteers and human rights defenders in the Niger Delta, in the area. According to the report, while some of the bodies have been recovered, many others are still missing.
“The incident occurred during the illegal loading of the product into a ship at a tapping point. The incident is said to have occurred at about 12:00AM on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at the Okari Jetty, Okrika Mainland area,” YEAC-NIGERIA executive director, Dr. Dumnamene Fyneface said in a statement.
The volunteers said the victims had connected a pipe to a tapping point on a pipeline that normally transports product from Indorama Eleme Petrochemical through the Port Harcourt Refinery to vessels that come every two weeks to load for export.
“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”, the statement read.
YEAC-NIGERIA called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to carry out a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the site of this incident. The body also called on the companies that own the vandalized facilities to provide adequate security on their pipelines to prevent a recurrence of this ugly incident.
The YEAC-NIGERIA also condemned this act of sabotage by the youths and warned them to stay away from oil and gas infrastructure due to the high pressure and associated dangers.
While calling for investigation into the incident, the YEAC-Nigeria also called on the government to provide alternative livelihood opportunities, including the canvassed modular refineries and the legalization of artisanal refining.
“This can be achieved through the establishment of YEAC-Nigeria’s proposed Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI) as well as the proposed Niger Delta Industrial Park to provide alternative opportunities for displaced artisanal refiners in the Niger Delta,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, the Police in Rivers State has confirmed the incident, saying it has launched an investigation to unravel the circumstances that led to the death.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Blessing Agabe, who confirmed the incident in a statement said the suspects reportedly died in the process of attempting to steal crude oil.
“However, no official complaint has been received in connection with the incident at this time. Investigation is ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and ascertain the facts,” the statement read.
