At least 43 people have died after inhaling toxic chemical fumes during an illegal fuel siphoning operation at Okari Jetty in Okrika Mainland, Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State. The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the incident and says investigations are ongoing to determine the full casualty figures.
Midnight Siphoning Operation Turns Fatal
The incident occurred around midnight on Thursday while a vessel at the jetty was being loaded with petroleum products for export. Community sources said more than 200 youths from neighbouring communities arrived by wooden boats and began siphoning fuel from an illegally connected tapping point on a pipeline linked to the facility.
Witnesses reported that the victims were overcome by concentrated chemical fumes as they loaded the product into their boats, with many losing consciousness on the spot. Some fell into the river and drowned, while others managed to escape and are now receiving treatment for severe respiratory complications. Several people remain unaccounted for.
Police Confirm Deaths, Open Investigation
Blessing Agabe, spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, confirmed the incident and said investigations are under way to establish the full circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine the exact casualty figures.
According to The Cable, of the 43 confirmed dead, 37 have been identified as indigenes of Okrika. The remaining six have not yet been identified.
YEAC Calls for Stronger Security Around Oil Infrastructure
Fyneface, executive director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), said in a statement that the victims had connected a pipe to a tapping point on a pipeline carrying petroleum products from Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals through the Port Harcourt refinery corridor to export vessels. He said the siphoning was taking place at the same time a vessel was receiving supplies from the pipeline.
YEAC-Nigeria called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a joint investigation into the incident. Fyneface also urged operators of the affected facilities to tighten security around oil and gas infrastructure to prevent further vandalism and illegal bunkering activity.
He cautioned youths in the region against tampering with oil and gas pipelines, warning that petroleum products transported under high pressure carry serious and potentially fatal risks. Fyneface further called on the government to create sustainable livelihood options for communities in the Niger Delta, pointing to modular refineries, the formalisation of artisanal refining, and targeted industrial development programmes as possible solutions to address the economic conditions that drive illegal bunkering.
