Lagos— At least 37 people have died after inhaling fumes while allegedly attempting to tap an oil pipeline in southern Nigeria, an environmental advocacy group said on Friday, in an incident that underscores the deadly risks of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta.

The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC) said the incident occurred around midnight on Thursday at Okari Jetty in Okrika, Rivers State, while a vessel was loading.

According to the group, suspected thieves were siphoning petroleum products under high pressure into boats. It said several other people were missing and that bodies had been seen floating in the river.

Police said the victims died while attempting to steal crude oil.

Rivers State police spokesperson ASP Blessing Kaborlo Agabe said investigations were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), however, cautioned that the casualty figures circulating online had not been verified. The agency said the substance involved also needed technical confirmation.

Authorities are working with other security agencies to establish the number of people killed, injured or missing and to investigate whether negligence, collusion or criminal facilitation played a role.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the incident or the reported death toll.

 

A deadly reminder of Nigeria’s oil theft crisis

The reported deaths highlight the continuing challenge of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta, where illegal pipeline connections have contributed to fatalities, environmental pollution and significant losses for Nigeria’s oil industry.

If confirmed, the reported toll would make the incident the deadliest known pipeline-theft incident in Nigeria since at least October 2023.

Illegal tapping is particularly dangerous because crude oil and petroleum products can be released under high pressure, exposing people nearby to toxic fumes, fires and explosions.

 

 

Source: Reuters

Reporting: Tife Owolabi

Writing: Ben Ezeamalul

Editing: Kate Mayberry