On the night from Thursday to Friday, at least 37 people died in Okrika, Rivers State, while attempting to steal crude oil from a loading vessel. Most succumbed to inhalation of toxic fumes.
The incident occurred at a jetty in Okrika, in the Niger Delta, while a ship was loading oil from the Indorama Eleme petrochemical plant, via the Port Harcourt refinery. Individuals were trying to siphon the cargo into boats from what the local NGO Youth and Advocacy Centre calls an “illegal tapping point.”
This same environmental organization reported the death toll of 37, specifying that others remained missing, likely having fallen into the water. Nigerian authorities had not yet released an official figure at the time of the events, while acknowledging a fatal incident.
The Rivers State police confirmed deaths without specifying the number. “The victims were allegedly trying to steal crude oil,” said spokesperson Blessing Agbabe. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps stated that circulating figures remain unverified and that an investigation is ongoing in coordination with other security agencies.
If confirmed, this would be the deadliest fatal accident related to an attempted oil theft since at least October 2023. Crude oil theft is a common phenomenon in the Niger Delta, a region that concentrates both the oil wealth of Africa’s top producer and persistent poverty, worsened by environmental degradation.
The Nigerian government estimates annual losses from these thefts at several billion dollars. Illegal tapping operations also cause regular leaks, with lasting environmental consequences on local ecosystems.
