At least 37 people died and several others remain missing after toxic fumes overwhelmed a crowd attempting to steal crude oil from an illegal tapping point in Okrika, Rivers State, on Thursday.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, tracking the incident through a network of volunteers, said more than 100 people from Okrika and neighbouring communities had gathered at the Okari Jetty with locally made boats to load petroleum products from the tapping point, while a vessel anchored nearby loaded the same product for export. A strong smell suddenly filled the air during the loading, according to a community source, causing many people to collapse; some fell into the river, while others who escaped were treated for respiratory distress at nearby hospitals.
Rivers State Police confirmed the deaths on Friday but did not give an official toll or say how many people remain missing. "The victims were allegedly attempting to steal crude oil," said police spokesperson Blessing Agabe, adding that an investigation was underway and that no formal complaint had yet been lodged with the command.
Oil theft, commonly called bunkering, is widespread in the Niger Delta, where decades of oil exploration have left many communities with limited economic alternatives. A community source who spoke to reporters said people continued visiting the tapping point even after news of the deaths spread, and called on authorities to create jobs for young people in the area rather than only policing the practice. The federal government has said oil theft costs Nigeria several billion dollars a year and has stepped up enforcement against it.
The circumstances of the incident remain under investigation, and the final death toll has not been officially confirmed.
