Panic has spread across Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State after several people allegedly involved in the illegal siphoning of petroleum products reportedly died from inhaling toxic fumes.
Although community sources claimed that 43 people lost their lives, the Rivers State Police Command said it was unable to verify the exact number of casualties, noting that investigations were still underway.
The incident was said to have happened around midnight on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at Okari Jetty in the Okrika Mainland area.
Reports indicated that a vessel had berthed at the jetty along the river to load petroleum products for export when over 200 people, mainly youths from nearby communities, allegedly arrived in locally fabricated boats to siphon the product from an illegal connection point.
A community source explained that as the loading operation continued, strong fumes from the petroleum product allegedly filled the surrounding area, causing several people at the location to lose consciousness.
The source further stated that some of the victims fell into the river, while others who managed to escape developed severe breathing difficulties and were rushed to hospitals for medical attention.
According to the source, 37 of the recovered bodies were identified as Okrika indigenes, while six others had yet to be identified. Several other persons were also said to be missing.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) similarly confirmed the incident, stating that reports from its network of youth volunteers and human rights defenders in the Niger Delta showed that at least 37 people died after inhaling what was locally described as “Indorama fuel.”
The Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, said the tragedy occurred during an alleged attempt to illegally transfer the product into boats.
He explained that the victims allegedly attached a pipe to a tapping point on a pipeline believed to convey petroleum products from Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals through the Port Harcourt Refinery to vessels that come to the area to load products for export.
Fyneface stated that the product was reportedly being pumped under intense pressure when the victims allegedly inhaled the fumes, leading to several deaths.
He added that some bodies were reportedly seen floating on the river but had not yet been recovered, while many other individuals remained unaccounted for.
Fyneface appealed to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to carry out a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) at the location to establish the exact circumstances that led to the incident.
He also called on companies whose facilities were allegedly tampered with to improve security around their pipelines to avert similar occurrences.
While condemning the alleged pipeline vandalism and illegal siphoning, Fyneface cautioned young people against going near oil and gas facilities, pointing to the risks posed by highly pressurised petroleum products.
He further urged the government to create alternative sources of livelihood for artisanal refiners and other vulnerable communities across the Niger Delta.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Blessing Agabe Kaborio, said the command was not in a position to confirm the reported number of deaths.
Kaborio said: “A number of people who went to scoop crude oil died in the process. I cannot volunteer the actual figure now because investigation is still ongoing.”
The police added that ongoing investigations would determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and establish the precise number of casualties.
