An explosion has rocked a store harbouring illegally refined petroleum products in Omoku, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State killing five persons.

The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) confirmed the development on Saturday.

The Executive Director, YEAC-Nigeria, Dr. Fyneface Fyneface, said the explosion resulted in an inferno that razed the building.

He said: “The inferno is said to have occurred in a house where people purchased and stored illegally refined petroleum products including condensate for resale in the area.”

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Fyneface said members of the Advocacy Centre youth volunteers network under the auspices of the One Million Youth Volunteers Network of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters in the Niger Delta in ONELGA reported the development to him.

He said the incident occurred on Saturday at around 11am adding that five persons comprising four females and a male were burnt beyond recognition.

He called for an investigation into the incident and warned residents and youths against involvement in pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, artisanal refineries and trading in illegally refined petroleum products including home storage.

Fyneface also renewed his call on the Federal Government to legalise artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta through the establishment of its July 27, 2020 proposed Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI) and modular refineries for artisanal refiners in the Delta region. (The Nation)