About 37 persons suspected of oil theft have died after inhaling a petroleum product believed to be crude oil in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident reportedly occurred early Thursday when youths allegedly attempted to load the product into a vessel from an illegally tapped point at a jetty in the area.
Several others were said to be missing following the incident, which occurred in the mainly coastal community.
It was gathered that more than 100 persons from Okrika and neighbouring communities had stormed the jetty in locally made boats to load the product from the illegal tapping point.
A source in the community told PUNCH Online that a strong smell filled the area while the product was being loaded, causing several of the youths to collapse.
The source, who requested anonymity due to security concerns, said some of the victims fell into the river while those who escaped suffered serious respiratory problems and were taken to hospital.
*As I speak to you, over 37 bodies were identified as Okirika people while six others were yet to be identified and many are still missing,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre has confirmed the incident, saying its network of youth volunteers and human rights defenders in the Niger Delta received reports of the deaths.
The Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene, said in a statement that no fewer than 37 persons suspected of oil theft died after inhaling what was locally called “Indorama fuel”.
He said the incident occurred at about midnight on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at Okari Jetty in the Okrika Mainland area.
Credit: punchng.com
