By Sandra Kenneth
The lethal substance responsible for the recent tragedy at Okari Jetty in Okrika, Rivers State, has been identified as C5, an extremely concentrated and volatile chemical byproduct generated during plastic manufacturing at the Indorama Petrochemical plant.
The disclosure was made by Fyneface Dumnamene, Director of the Youth and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), during an interview with Exceedfm.
Fyneface clarified that while local residents often mistake the substance for conventional petroleum products or fuel, C5 is an unlicensed, highly hazardous chemical intended strictly for foreign export due to domestic sales restrictions.
Explaining the mechanics of the casualty, the environmental advocate noted that the extreme chemical concentration and intense pressure of the trapped C5 fumes instantly overwhelmed the victims upon breach, triggering the fatal outcome.
Warning youths across the Niger Delta against illegal oil bunkering, pipeline breach, and artisanal refining, Fyneface stressed that oil theft is a deadly venture that offers no solution to economic hardship.
To tackle the root drivers of illegal refining, the advocacy leader called on the Federal Government to fulfill its commitments regarding modular refinery licenses. He further urged the immediate establishment of the Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI) to formally integrate local operators into a legal, regulated cottage refining framework.
