By Elvira Jordan
At least 43 people suspected to be involved in illegal petroleum theft have reportedly died after inhaling toxic petroleum fumes during an illegal loading operation at Okari Jetty in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday, September 3, 2026, when a large group of suspected oil thieves reportedly converged on the waterfront to siphon petroleum products from an illegally tapped point while a vessel was simultaneously loading products at the jetty.
Reports indicated that more than 200 people, mostly youths from neighbouring communities, arrived at the area in locally made boats and connected a pipe to an illegal tapping point on a pipeline carrying petroleum products.
The situation reportedly turned deadly when the strong fumes from the petroleum product saturated the surrounding area. Several of those at the scene were said to have collapsed, while others reportedly fell into the river as they attempted to escape.
Some survivors were said to have suffered severe breathing difficulties and were taken to hospitals for medical attention, while several people remained missing.
Initial reports from the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) put the confirmed death toll at 37, although other reports later indicated that the number of identified victims had risen to 43.
The Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, said the victims died after inhaling what residents locally refer to as “Indorama fuel.”
According to him, the illegal operation was taking place while a vessel was loading the same product, exposing the suspected oil thieves to petroleum fumes being released under high pressure.
Fyneface said some corpses had reportedly been sighted floating on the river, but had yet to be recovered, while the identities of several of the deceased remained unknown.
The Rivers State Police Command confirmed the incident, but said investigations were ongoing to establish the exact number of casualties and determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The tragedy has once again drawn attention to the dangers associated with illegal oil bunkering and crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, where desperate attempts to access petroleum products have repeatedly resulted in fires, explosions, toxic exposure and loss of lives.
Fyneface condemned the illegal activity and warned youths involved in oil theft to stay away from oil and gas infrastructure, particularly pipelines carrying products under pressure.
He also called for an immediate investigation by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), including a Joint Investigation Visit to the site, to establish the precise circumstances that led to the deaths.
