An oil bunkering incident has reportedly claimed the lives of at least 43 persons in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The deceased were said to have met their ends after inhaling dangerous and toxic chemical substances while illegally siphoning petroleum products from a docked vessel.
The tragic incident reportedly occurred around midnight on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at Okari Jetty in the Okrika Mainland area.
According to Vanguard, the tragic incident happened after more than 200 people stormed a jetty along the river where a vessel had berthed to load petroleum products for export.
The alleged oil thieves, mostly youths from neighbouring communities, reportedly stormed the jetty in local boats to siphon the product from an illegal tapping point.
While community sources claimed 43 persons have died so far, the Rivers State Police Command said it could not confirm the actual number of casualties.
A community source disclosed that during the loading operation, the pungent fumes from the petroleum product reportedly enveloped 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 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, stated that the incident occurred during an alleged attempt to illegally move the product into boats.
He disclosed that 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.
According to him, 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.
However, the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Blessing Agabe Kaborio, confirmed the incident but said the command could not authenticate the reported death toll.
Kaborio said: “Several people who went to scoop crude oil died in the process. I cannot volunteer the actual figure now because the investigation is still ongoing.”
The police said the investigation would establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the actual number of casualties.
