More than 37 people are feared dead after reportedly inhaling a substance locally known as “Indorama fuel” during an alleged illegal oil-loading operation in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident reportedly occurred at about midnight on Thursday, September 3, 2026, around Okari Jetty in the Okrika Mainland area.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, said it received and confirmed the report through its network of youth volunteers and human rights defenders in the Niger Delta.
According to the organisation, the victims were suspected oil thieves who allegedly connected a pipe to a tapping point on a pipeline conveying petroleum products from Indorama Eleme Petrochemical through the Port Harcourt Refinery to vessels for export.
YEAC-Nigeria said the victims were reportedly loading the product into waiting boats while a vessel was simultaneously loading from the same facility.
The organisation said the product was being pumped at high pressure, causing the victims to inhale the substance, resulting in the reported deaths.
It added that several other people remained missing, while some bodies had reportedly been sighted floating on the river but had yet to be recovered.
YEAC-Nigeria called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the site to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The organisation also urged companies operating the affected facilities to strengthen security around their pipelines to prevent further vandalism and similar incidents.
While condemning the alleged sabotage, YEAC-Nigeria warned youths involved in illegal activities around oil and gas infrastructure to stay away from pipelines because of the dangers associated with high-pressure petroleum products.
The organisation further called on the government to provide alternative livelihood opportunities for artisanal refiners and other youths dependent on illegal oil activities.
It advocated the development of modular refineries and the legalisation of artisanal refining, including through its proposed Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI) and the proposed Niger Delta Industrial Park.
YEAC-Nigeria said such interventions would provide alternative economic opportunities and help reduce illegal activities around oil and gas infrastructure in the Niger Delta.
