The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has called for urgent action to protect communities living around petroleum infrastructure following reports of deaths at Okari Jetty Creeks in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State. According to HOMEF, up to 37 people may have died after allegedly inhaling fumes from a petroleum product. The incident has sparked concerns about the safety of communities living near petroleum facilities.
The Rivers State Police Command confirmed the incident and said investigations were ongoing, while the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) reported sighting four corpses. However, the casualty figure and circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear. Conflicting accounts have emerged about what the victims were doing when the incident occurred, with some reports suggesting they were accessing petroleum products from a pipeline.
HOMEF Executive Director, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, emphasized the need for an investigation into the deaths and addressing the wider hazards faced by communities living around petroleum facilities. He said the victims might have been exposed to hazardous gases, possibly resulting in asphyxiation, or may have drowned after losing consciousness and falling into the river.
Bassey described the incident as an alarm over decades of hydrocarbon and toxic waste pollution in the Niger Delta. He urged oil companies and relevant government agencies to strengthen their responsibility for protecting human health and the environment. The incident has highlighted the need for proper maintenance and security of facilities, as well as functional emergency response systems.
HOMEF also drew attention to other unresolved petroleum hazards in the region, including a wellhead fire at Ofiomina-Ama in Okrika, reportedly burning since February 2024, and the Ororo-1 oil well fire off Awoye, Ondo State, reportedly burning since May 2020. The organization urged authorities to prioritize environmental cleanup, facility maintenance, and decommissioning of obsolete infrastructure.
The organization called on the Federal and Rivers State governments, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and petroleum operators and regulators to strengthen safety measures around petroleum infrastructure. HOMEF also commiserated with the affected families and communities and called for appropriate support for victims, a transparent investigation, and assessment of health and environmental risks.
HOMEF further cautioned against prematurely attributing the Okrika incident to oil theft, stressing that while any established illegal tampering should be addressed, the broader risks associated with hazardous and ageing petroleum infrastructure must not be overlooked. The organization urged stakeholders to pursue a just decommissioning process and implement the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission Report.
Key points
- HOMEF calls for urgent action to protect communities living around petroleum infrastructure
- The incident highlights decades of hydrocarbon and toxic waste pollution in the Niger Delta
- Authorities urged to prioritize environmental cleanup, facility maintenance, and decommissioning of obsolete infrastructure
