Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the death of over 40 suspected crude oil thieves who reportedly choked to death after inhaling petroleum fumes in Okrika Local Government Area of the state.
The incident, which reportedly occurred in the early hours of Thursday, September 3, 2026, at Okari Jetty, Okrika Mainland, was said to have happened during an illegal loading operation.
Confirming the incident, the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer said the suspects reportedly died in the process of attempting to steal crude oil from a vandalized pipeline.
“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 exact number of suspects dead,” the PPRO stated.
It was gathered that a vessel had anchored at the jetty to load petroleum product for export, while over 200 persons, mostly youths from neighbouring communities, stormed the same location in locally made boats to siphon product from an illegal tapping point.
A community source said the pungent odour from the product saturated the air during the loading, causing many of the suspects to collapse into the river while others who escaped were rushed to hospital with serious respiratory challenges.
According to the source, 37 of the bodies have been identified as indigenes of Okrika, while six others remain unidentified. Many others are still said to be missing.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria, also confirmed the incident through its Executive Director, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface.
Fyneface in a statement said no fewer than 37 persons suspected to be oil thieves died after inhaling what is locally called “Indorama Fuel.”
He alleged that 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 load for export every two weeks.
“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,” Fyneface said.
He called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, to carry out a Joint Investigation Visit to the site and urged companies that own the vandalized facilities to beef up security on their pipelines.
Fyneface condemned the act of sabotage and warned youths to stay away from oil and gas infrastructure due to the associated dangers.
He also called on government to provide alternative livelihood opportunities, including modular refineries and the legalization of artisanal refining, through initiatives such as YEAC-Nigeria’s proposed Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative, PACORDI.
The Police said investigations into the incident are ongoing on the incident.
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