3rd March, 2023
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
At least 12 people have been confirmed dead in an explosion at the scene of illegal refining sites in Rumuekpe community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The explosion occurred at a site where oil thieves broke into the Trans Niger Delta Pipeline,TNP, which passed through the community at about 2 am today Friday,March 3,2023, according to reports.
This was also confirmed in a statement signed by Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, an environmental rights activist and Executive Director of Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria).
YEAC-Nigeria in a statement issued through its Crude Oil Spill Alert System (COSAS) confirmed that the explosion happened in Rumuekpe Community at an illegal crude oil tapping point leaving yet to be confirmed number people dead.
Fyneface said:”The Explosion happened at about 2 am today, Friday, March 3, 2023 when one of the buses that has been loaded with crude oil to drive to another area where the refining will take place in an artisanal refineries kicked his vehicle leading to the explosion.
“The explosion and fire which has left dozens, including women dead and burnt beyond recognition with many other vehicles and tricycles burnt to ashes occured at the tapping point said to be on the Trans Niger Delta Pipeline (TNP) that passed through the community.
It further noted in the statement that all those who were at the exact tapping point in the “pit” got killed while some of those who had loaded the crude and waiting to load including women have been killed by the explosion.
The Centre and other sources in the community conformed that men of the Nigeria Arm area already at the scene of the incident.
The Army, Police, Fire service and other security personnel have been mobilized to the scene of the raging inferno.
The spokesperson for the State Police Command SP Grace Iringe-Koko said 12 people have so far been confirmed dead in the explosion.
Meanwhile, the Dr. Chidi Lloyd, the Chairman of Emohua Local Government area had not reacted at the time of filing this report.
A detachment of Police officers are also on the way to the scene of the accident which has now been cordoned off.
Our correspondent reports that explosions had been regular occurrence in communities in Emohua Local Government area due to illegal oil bunkering activities.
See statement by YEAC-Nigeria below
*BREAKING NEWS: CRUDE OIL EXPLOSION KILLS DOZENS IN RIVERS*
Report reaching Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) through its Crude Oil Spill Alert System (COSAS) and members of its “One Million Youth Volunteers Network of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters in the Niger Delta” in Rumuekpe Community in Emohua Local Government Area has it that explosion at a crude oil tapping point has left many people dead.
The Explosion happened at about 2AM today, Friday, March 3, 2023 when one of the buses that has loaded with crude oil to drive to another area where the refining will take place in an artisanal refineries kick his vehicle leading to the explosion.
The explosion and fire which has left dozens including women dead and burnt beyond recognition with many other vehicles and tricycles burnt to ashes at the tapping point said to be on the Trans Niger Delta Pipeline (TNP) that passed through the community.
The Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria who has been campaigning against crude oil theft, environmental pollution and leading the advocacy for the provision of alternative livelihood opportunities for artisanal refiners in the Niger Delta for the past 12years through the promotion of Modular Refineries promised by the Federal Government, proposed the establishment of “Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI)” as was as the establishment of “Network Against Organized Crime in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea (NAOCINAG” was called and informed of this latest development and death of many pipeline vandals.
The report further said all those who were at the exact tapping point in the “pit” got killed while some of those who had loaded the crude and waiting to load including women have been killed by the explosion.
Advocacy Centre can conform from the eyewitness information and other sources that confirmed the incident at the community that men of the Nigeria Arm area already at the scene of the incident with the Police said to be on the way to the scene making it difficult for photographs and videos to be taken.
YEAC-Nigeria will update the public with photographs with this incident and more informing as they are received from the scene in the community.
Signed,
*FYNEFACE DUMNAMENE FYNEFACE*,
Executive Director, YEAC-NIGERIA
March 3, 2023.