By Oluwatosin Maliki
In a devastating incident, a total of 25 persons tragically lost their lives following an explosion that erupted from an illegal oil tapping point located at Omoku, Ogba/Egebema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
It was learnt that the unfortunate incident happened on Sunday morning, after the youths in the community allegedly broke a pipeline belonging to one of the multinational oil firms operating in the areas.
Subsequently, they began using jerrycans and buckets to scoop fuel until the victims met their demise.
An anonymous source who spoke to newsmen, lamented over the grim toll of the catastrophe, revealing the scale of the tragedy, saying, 25 persons were feared dead, while many others suffered varying degrees of burns and were receiving treatment in different hospitals in the area.
She stated, “It is a very terrible incident. Imagine the death of 25 people in such a time. We learnt some youths bust a company pipeline.”
“If you go to the General Hospital and other private clinics in Omoku, you will see many of the injured people scattered all over the place in both government and private hospitals taking treatment.”
Also, another undisclosed source explained that the inferno occurred as a result of attempts by suspected oil thieves to light mosquito coils.
He disclosed, “The leakage was from an obsolete pipeline belonging to one of the oil companies operating in the area.”
In response, the chairman of Niger Delta Youth Movement, ONELGA chapter, Emeka Ukwuosah, condemned the illicit activities and urged youths in the area to shun illegal oil bunkering and become useful to themselves and the community by pursuing lawful endeavours.
Ukwuosah said, “Let me join in condemning the illegal oil bunkering going on within ONELGA. We are also calling on the security agencies to be up and doing and check what is happening within that circle”.
“Secondly, we are also calling on the multinationals that own the oil facilities to overhaul their aging facilities to forestall such incidents.”
Sharing the same sentiment, Emeka Agbabere, the Assistant Secretary of a vigilante group in the area, Onelga Security Peace Advisory Council, attributed the disaster to illegal oil bunkering.
Agbabere added that the vigilante group, the Community Development Committee, as well as the youths were all directed by a monarch in the community to put a stop to illegal oil bunkering activities.
Furthermore, he expressed concerns that despite their repeated campaigns for the youths to stop illegal bunkering, they continue to wreck havoc and endanger lives in the area.
He stated, “We proclaimed that they must put a stop to it and this is the aftermath of it. When they busted the pipeline, fire engulfed immediately and 19 of them died instantly and about 12 in two different hospitals.”
The spokesperson of the state police command, and Superintendent of Police, Grace Iringe-Koko, who was reportedly contacted, said she would find out and get back to journalists. However, no feedback was gotten from the PPRO.