43 Suspected Oil Thieves Die in Rivers, Others Missing

At least 43 suspected oil thieves have reportedly died after inhaling petroleum products during an illegal loading operation at a jetty in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The incident occurred at the Okari Jetty area of Okrika Mainland in the early hours of Thursday, leaving several people dead and many others missing.

The victims were said to have been part of a large group that converged on the waterfront to siphon petroleum products from an illegally tapped point while another vessel was loading products at the jetty.

Initial reports put the number of people involved in the illegal operation at more than 200.

Most of them were youths from neighbouring communities who arrived in locally made boats.

According to information gathered, the group had connected a pipe to an illegal tapping point and was loading the petroleum product into waiting boats when the situation turned fatal.

A community source said the atmosphere suddenly became saturated with the strong fumes from the product.

The fumes reportedly overwhelmed several of those at the location.

Some of the victims were said to have collapsed at the jetty, while others fell into the river as they attempted to escape from the area.

Those who survived reportedly suffered breathing difficulties and were rushed to hospitals for treatment.

The exact number of casualties remained unclear as of Thursday afternoon, with the police saying investigations were still ongoing.

The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) confirmed the incident and said its network of youth volunteers and human rights defenders in the Niger Delta had received reports of multiple deaths in the area.

The Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, said at least 37 people had been confirmed dead after inhaling what residents locally refer to as “Indorama fuel”.

Fyneface said: “According to the report, no fewer than 37 persons suspected to be oil thieves died after inhaling what is locally called ‘Indorama Fuel’. Many others are still missing. The incident occurred during the illegal loading of the product into a ship at a tapping point.

“The incident is said to have occurred at about 12:00am on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at the Okari Jetty, Okrika Mainland area”.

He explained that the illegal operators had connected a pipe to a tapping point on a pipeline carrying products from the Indorama Eleme Petrochemical area through the Port Harcourt Refinery to vessels that reportedly arrive periodically to load products for export.

According to him, the illegal loading was taking place at the same time as a vessel was loading the product.

Fyneface said the victims were exposed to the substance as it was being pumped through the system at high pressure.

Fyneface said: “The report further stated that while a vessel was loading the product and the men were simultaneously loading into their waiting boats from the illegal tapping point, they inhaled the product being pumped at high pressure. This led to the death of not fewer than 37 persons. Many are still missing, and some corpses have been seen floating on the river but have not yet been recovered”.

The waterways around Okrika have continued to be used for the movement of petroleum products, with security agencies frequently carrying out operations against illegal refining and oil theft in the area.

The Nigerian Army had, in previous operations, reported arrests and seizures linked to oil theft in Okrika.

In June 2025, troops of the 6 Division intercepted a wooden boat carrying 18,980 litres of Premium Motor Spirit around Dorger Land in Okrika and arrested three suspected oil thieves.

Other operations in Rivers State also resulted in the seizure of stolen petroleum products and the arrest of suspects.

Fyneface called for an immediate investigation into the incident.

He specifically urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit to the site to determine what happened and establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

He also called on the companies whose facilities were allegedly vandalised to strengthen security around their pipelines and other oil infrastructure.

Fyneface said: “The Advocacy Centre condemns this act of sabotage by the youths and warns them to stay away from oil and gas infrastructure due to the high pressure and associated dangers.

“While calling for investigation into the incident, the Advocacy Centre also calls on the government to provide alternative livelihood opportunities, including the canvassed modular refineries and the legalization of artisanal refining.

“This can be achieved through the establishment of YEAC-Nigeria’s proposed Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI) as well as the proposed Niger Delta Industrial Park to provide alternative opportunities for displaced artisanal refiners in the Niger Delta”.

The call comes amid renewed military operations against illegal oil refining and crude oil theft across the Niger Delta.

Just days before the Okrika incident, the Defence Headquarters disclosed that troops under Operation Delta Safe had deactivated 21 illegal refining sites and recovered about 696,800 litres of stolen crude and petroleum products across the South-South in August.

The military also said 43 criminals were arrested during the operations, while 38 civilians were rescued.

The Okrika tragedy also brings back memories of previous deadly petroleum-related incidents in the area.

In August 2023, an explosion and fire linked to the scooping of petroleum products at Okari Jetty reportedly killed people and affected aquatic life, with dead fish later seen floating around the affected waterways.

Contemporary reports at the time gave conflicting casualty figures.

In the latest incident, residents are now searching the waterways for people who may have fallen into the river during the scramble to escape the fumes.

Some bodies have reportedly been sighted floating on the water but are yet to be recovered.

The identity of several of the deceased also remained unknown as of the time of filing this report.

The Rivers State Police Command confirmed the incident.

The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Agabe Blessing Karbalo, said investigations were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine the actual number of casualties.