Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The death toll from the fire explosion at an illegal oil refining site at Rumucholu forest, Ibaa community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, have risen from 17 to 35, the Paramount Ruler of Ibaa community, Eze Nwobodo Jonah, has said.
The fire explosion which occurred in the late night of October 1st, 2023, while the rest of the world celebrates Nigeria’s 63rd independent anniversary, claimed the lives of several persons including two pregnant women and a lady preparing for her wedding in two weeks.
Speaking, the Paramount ruler of Ibaa community, Eze Nwobodo Jonah, said the death toll may even rise above 35 as the search and head count of victims continue.
He regretted that despite his warnings and even using town criers to go around the villages warming people to desist from the illegal oil bunkering, the criminal act has persisted.
“The death toll may rise more than we expect because as we speak, the thing happened inside the bush and some families lost their numbers. I know of a family where a man lost his son, and he too was also burnt.
“I warned them that anybody caught in the fire would carry his own cross because they were toying with disaster. Yet they still went ahead to continue the illegal bunkering. This is so unfortunate.
“Some of them regard me as a very bad person and refused to relate with me. It’s unfortunate that this thing keeps happening. I have been warning and warning. But they refused to listen. I hope this will serve as a deterrent to others.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, Barr. Chidi Lloyd, has blamed traditional rulers and security agencies on the continuous illegal oil bunkering and artisanal refining activities in the area.
Lloyd who identified Obele, Rumuji and Ndele communities as places where illegal refining activities persist in the LGA, raised concerns about the role of the Military in Ibaa community.
“It is unfortunate for people to lose their lives in such a dastardly manner by engaging in illegal oil bunkering activities in areas like Ibaa.
“The world can bear me witness that I have done a lot of advocacies talking about the dangers of illegal oil bunkering in my local government but unfortunately, they will not listen.
“Traditional rulers have a role play in this in this kind of situation. It is not enough for them to fight for recognition by the government. They should lead their people well so we can avoid this kind of tragedy.”
The Emohua Council boss said he had raised alarm about illegal Oil refining activities in these communities to security agencies and they are aware of what is going on.
“I always ask this question: How do these people transport this crude without the security agencies, the Nigerian Army outpost in Ibaa intercepting them and arresting them?” Lloyd said while pointing out that there is a Nigerian Army formation in Ibaa.
In the same vein, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria, has condemned the continuous engagement in artisanal crude oil refining activities in some communities across the Niger Delta despite intense campaigns and advocacy against crude oil theft, artisanal refining, and pollution.
Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Mr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, said that if the intense campaigns against pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, and artisanal refining mounted by the organization and other stakeholders, including the state and federal government, were adhered to, deaths of this nature would have been avoided.
“If the federal government had issued the 18 modular refinery licenses approved by the former President Buhari administration and established the Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI), which modernizes, standardizes, legalizes, and integrates artisanal crude oil refining into the nation’s economy, as alternative livelihood opportunities for artisanal crude oil refiners in the Niger Delta, these deaths would have been avoided.”
YEAC-Nigeria further called on artisanal refiners in the Niger Delta to stop acts of crude oil theft and artisanal refineries to avoid unnecessary deaths, while urging the federal government to immediately approve measures that provide alternative livelihood opportunities for artisanal refiners in Niger Delta.
