Panic has gripped Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State following reports that several persons suspected of illegally siphoning petroleum products died after inhaling toxic fumes.
Community sources claimed that at least 43 people lost their lives in the incident, which occurred around midnight on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at Okari Jetty in Okrika Mainland. However, the Rivers State Police Command said it could not confirm the actual number of casualties, noting that investigations were ongoing.
Witnesses said a vessel had anchored at the jetty to load petroleum products for export when more than 200 people, mostly youths, arrived in locally made boats to siphon fuel from an illegal tapping point. The fumes reportedly overwhelmed the area, causing many to collapse. Some victims fell into the river, while others were rushed to hospitals with severe respiratory complications.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) confirmed the incident, stating that at least 37 of the victims were indigenes of Okrika. Its Executive Director, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, explained that the victims had connected a pipe to a pipeline transporting petroleum products from Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals through the Port Harcourt Refinery to export vessels.
He warned that the high-pressure pumping of the product likely led to the inhalation of toxic fumes, resulting in multiple deaths. Fyneface urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit and called on companies to strengthen security around pipelines to prevent similar tragedies.
The Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Blessing Agabe Kaborio, confirmed that “a number of people who went to scoop crude oil died in the process,” but stressed that the exact figure would only be determined after investigations.
The incident has renewed concerns about pipeline vandalism, illegal oil siphoning, and the dangers faced by communities in the Niger Delta, with calls for stronger security measures and alternative livelihood opportunities for vulnerable residents.
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