At least 43 suspected oil thieves have been choked to death after inhaling a petroleum product in Okirika Local Government Area, Rivers State.

It was gathered that many others were still missing after the incident that devastated the entire local government area.

The incident reportedly occurred when a vessel anchored at a jetty along the riverside to load a petroleum product for export.

It was gathered that over 200 persons mostly youths from neighbouring communities stormed the same jetty on various locally made boats to also load from an illegally tapped point.

A community source, who spoke in confidence, said while the loading was going on the pungent odour of the product saturated the air and choked the victims.

He said many of them collapsed into the river while others, who managed to escape the scene had serious respiratory challenges and were being treated at the hospital.

The source said 37 bodies were identified as Okirika people while six others were yet to be identified, adding that many were still missing.

The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) confirmed the incident saying its network of youth volunteers and human rights defenders in the Niger Delta in the Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers reported that no fewer than 37 had been confirmed dead after inhaling “Indorama fuel”.

The Executive Director, YEAC-Nigeria, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene 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 said the victims had connected a pipe to a tapping point on a pipeline that normally transported product from Indorama Eleme Petrochemical through the Port Harcourt Refinery to vessels that usually came every two weeks to load for export.

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”.

He called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to carry out a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the site of this incident.

He further asked companies that owned the vandalised facilities to provide adequate security on their pipelines to prevent a recurrence of the ugly incident.

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 Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Agabe Blessing Karbalo confirmed the incident.

She, however, said investigations were ongoing to determine the number of casualties and the circumstances behind their death. (The Nation)