At least 37 people suspected to be involved in illegal oil activities have reportedly died in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State after inhaling a petroleum product believed to have been crude oil.
The incident reportedly occurred around Okari Jetty in Okrika Mainland in the early hours of Thursday, September 3, 2026, when a large number of youths allegedly gathered at an illegal tapping point to load petroleum products into boats.
Sources in the coastal community said more than 100 people from Okrika and neighbouring communities had arrived at the jetty in locally made boats when the incident occurred.
According to one of the sources, a strong and toxic-smelling substance suddenly filled the area as the product was being pumped under pressure.
Several of those at the scene reportedly collapsed after inhaling the substance, while others allegedly fell into the river in an attempt to escape.
The source said some survivors suffered severe respiratory complications and were rushed to hospitals for treatment.
“As I speak to you, over 37 bodies were identified as Okrika people, while six others are yet to be identified and many are still missing,” the source said.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria, subsequently confirmed reports of the deaths.
The organisation’s Executive Director, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene, said its network of youth volunteers and human rights defenders across the Niger Delta received reports that no fewer than 37 persons suspected of oil theft had died after inhaling a substance locally referred to as “Indorama fuel.”
Dumnamene said the incident happened at about midnight at Okari Jetty, alleging that the victims had connected a pipe to an illegal tapping point on a pipeline conveying petroleum products from the Indorama Eleme Petrochemical facility through the Port Harcourt Refinery to vessels.
He explained that the deaths occurred while a vessel was loading the product and the suspected oil thieves were simultaneously transferring it into waiting boats.
According to him, the high-pressure release of the product allegedly caused the victims to inhale the substance, resulting in multiple deaths.
“Many are still missing, and some corpses have been seen floating on the river but have not yet been recovered,” Dumnamene said.
He called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency to urgently carry out a Joint Investigation Visit to determine what happened and establish the full extent of the incident.
READ ALSO: DSS Arraigns 19 Suspected Crude Oil Thieves In Akwa Ibom
The environmental advocacy group also urged the company whose facilities were allegedly vandalised to strengthen security around its pipelines to prevent similar incidents.
Dumnamene condemned the alleged sabotage and warned residents against tampering with oil and gas infrastructure, citing the dangers associated with high-pressure petroleum facilities.
He also called on the government to address the economic conditions driving illegal refining and oil theft by providing alternative livelihood opportunities, including support for modular refineries and the legalisation of artisanal refining.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command confirmed the incident.
The command’s spokesperson, ASP Blessing Agabe, said preliminary information indicated that the victims were allegedly attempting to steal crude oil when they died.
Agabe, however, noted that the command had not received an official complaint regarding the incident but had commenced an investigation.
“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,” she said.
Authorities are expected to establish the exact cause of the deaths, recover missing persons and determine the number of victims as investigations continue.
If you want, I can also make the headline more dramatic and newspaper-style, or shorten it to 10 words for your news platform.