At least 37 dead in suspected oil theft incident in Nigeria

At least 37 people died overnight on Thursday in Okrika, Rivers State, while allegedly attempting to illegally tap oil from a loading vessel. The Youth and Advocacy Centre reported that most of the victims died after inhaling hazardous fumes at a jetty where a vessel was loading oil from the Indorama Eleme Petrochemical through the Port Harcourt Refinery. Some victims may have also drowned after losing consciousness, and other people remain missing.

The Rivers State Police Command confirmed the deaths and stated that the victims were allegedly attempting to steal crude oil. However, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps noted that the casualty figures circulating remain unverified and are being clarified by security agencies.

Environmentalist Nnimmo Bassey has called for an independent investigation into the deaths. He linked the incident to broader safety concerns in the Niger Delta, citing ongoing methane gas seepage in the Bille community and a long burning oil well in Ondo State. Fyneface Dumnamene, Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit and called for improved security around oil facilities.

Oil theft is common in the Niger Delta, a region characterized by poverty and environmental degradation. The Nigerian government estimates that such theft causes losses worth several billion dollars annually.