No fewer than 37 persons suspected of engaging in oil theft have died after inhaling fumes from a petroleum product in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday, September 3, 2026, at the Okari Jetty in the Okrika Mainland area.
Reports indicate that more than 100 youths from Okrika and neighbouring communities had reportedly arrived at the jetty in locally made boats to siphon petroleum products from an illegally tapped point.
A community source said a strong smell suddenly spread through the area while the product was being loaded into the boats, causing several of the youths to collapse.
Some of the victims reportedly fell into the river, while others who survived were rushed to hospitals after suffering serious respiratory complications. Several other persons are also said to be missing.
The petroleum product was believed to have been crude oil or another petroleum substance being transported through a pipeline linked to the Indorama Eleme Petrochemical facility and the Port Harcourt Refinery.
The incident was also confirmed by the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria).
Its Executive Director, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene, said the organisation received reports of the deaths through its network of volunteers and human rights defenders in the Niger Delta.
Dumnamene said the victims died after inhaling what was locally referred to as “Indorama fuel” while allegedly attempting to load the product from an illegal tapping point.
He called for an immediate investigation into the incident and urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit to the site.
The Rivers State Police Command also confirmed the incident and said an investigation had commenced.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Blessing Agabe, said the victims were suspected to have died while attempting to steal crude oil.
She, however, noted that no official complaint had been received by the command at the time of the confirmation.
“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 circumstances surrounding the incident and ascertain the facts,” Agabe said.
The tragedy has renewed concerns over the dangers associated with illegal oil bunkering and the unauthorised tapping of petroleum pipelines in the Niger Delta.
Authorities and environmental groups have called for investigations into the circumstances surrounding the deaths and increased protection of oil and gas infrastructure to prevent similar incidents.
