Not fewer than 37 suspected oil thieves have died after inhaling toxic fumes during an illegal petroleum loading operation at Okari Jetty in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
As gathered, the victims were part of a large number of youths who gathered at the waterfront to siphon petroleum products through an illegal tapping point while a vessel was simultaneously loading products at the jetty in Okrika Mainland.
Confirming the incident on Thursday, the Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, Dumnamene Fyneface, said the organisation received information from its network of youth volunteers and human rights defenders across the Niger Delta.
Fyneface said the illegal operators had connected a pipe to a tapping point on a pipeline conveying petroleum products from the Indorama Eleme Petrochemical area through the Port Harcourt Refinery to vessels.
He explained that the illegal operation was being carried out at the same time a vessel was loading petroleum products, exposing the youths to fumes released from the product as it was pumped through the pipeline under high pressure.
“The report further stated that 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,” Fyneface said.
“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.”
Fyneface urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency to carry out a Joint Investigation Visit to the site to determine the circumstances that led to the deaths.
He also called on companies whose facilities were vandalised to improve security around their pipelines and other oil infrastructure to prevent further incidents.
The advocacy organisation condemned the alleged sabotage and cautioned youths in the Niger Delta against tampering with oil and gas facilities, warning that petroleum products transported under high pressure pose serious risks.
It also appealed to the government to create alternative sources of livelihood for youths engaged in artisanal oil activities.
The organisation renewed its advocacy for the establishment of modular refineries and an industrial park in the Niger Delta, saying such initiatives would provide alternative economic opportunities for people involved in illegal refining.