A major tragedy struck the Okari Jetty area of Okrika Mainland, Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, as an illegal bunkering attempt on an export pipeline belonging to Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited resulted in the death of at least 43 youths, with several others reported missing.
The incident, which occurred on Thursday, has sparked widespread tension and panic across neighbouring riverine communities.
According to emerging reports, the disaster occurred when a vessel anchored at the riverside jetty to load petroleum products for export.
More than 200 youths from surrounding communities reportedly arrived at the jetty in locally made boats to siphon a volatile petroleum byproduct, commonly known as ‘C5’, from an illegally tapped point on the pipeline. C5 is a high-concentration chemical used in plastic manufacturing.
The victims were reportedly overcome by the toxic, high-pressure chemical fumes while attempting to siphon the substance into their boats.
Confirming the tragedy, the Rivers State Police Command, through its Public Relations Officer, ASP Blessing Agabe, stated that the victims were allegedly attempting to steal petroleum products when the disaster occurred.
ASP Agabe noted in a brief statement that while the exact number of casualties had not been fully verified by security agencies, investigations into the incident were ongoing.
Speaking on behalf of civil society, Dr Fineface Dumnamene, Executive Director of the Youth and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), provided further context on the nature of the chemical involved and the casualties recorded along the waterways.
Clarifying the chemical composition, Fineface explained, ‘The fuel is called Indorama fuel, but we have found out that it is called C5. So, this C5 is a byproduct that comes from the production of plastic product at the petrochemical company of Indorama. And as a result of the fact that they don’t have license to sell that product in Nigeria, they normally export it outside the country.’
He added, ‘We now got report that some youths from within the area tapped into the pipeline that brings this product from petrochemical to the waiting vessel that comes every two weeks. And in the process of that, due to the high concentration of the product and the flammable nature and how strong the fume is, they now inhaled the fume because of the pressure it was also coming with, and we got report that about 37 persons allegedly died and many others are still missing with some corpses still found floating on the river.’
Expressing deep sadness over the tragedy, the advocate strongly warned Niger Delta youths against pipeline vandalism, oil theft and artisanal refining, urging them not to risk their lives despite the severe economic conditions.
‘We have to warn our youth, like we’ve been warning them at the centre, that breaking into pipelines, stealing product will not help them,’ Fineface cautioned. ‘No matter how there is hunger in the land, stealing product of this nature is not very good because look at now, in the process of trying to get something to eat, they have lost their lives. If they have still had their lives with them, who knows, tomorrow it may have been better. So, we warn the youth of the Niger Delta to stay away from pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, and artisanal refineries.’
The YEAC director called on the Federal Government to urgently provide sustainable economic alternatives for youths in oil-producing communities through legal channels.
‘It is important for the federal government to look for alternative livelihood opportunities for these youths who are interested in going into the petroleum sector to make a living. I think that if the government is able to provide the license they promised the youth in the Niger Delta for modular refinery, it will go a long way to keep them busy,’ he urged.
‘We have also been proposing the legalization of artisanal refineries through the Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI) that the YEAC in Nigeria proposed on 27th July 2020, that if this is established, it will help these youth to be engaged through cottage petroleum refining processes. They pay tax to government, get their licenses, and everybody will get busy away from pipeline that they are using to export product outside the country.’
He further urged both Indorama and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) to beef up physical security along the Okari Jetty export corridor to prevent future breaches.
‘The companies, Indorama and the NNPC Ltd, they should try as much as possible to provide security for their pipeline so that the youth will not have access to it, break into it, and then begin to tap their product that they are trying to export outside the country,’ Fineface emphasised.