An explosion at a store used for stocking illegally refined petroleum products has claimed the lives of five individuals in Omoku, located in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident was confirmed on Saturday by the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria).
According to Dr. Fyneface Fyneface, Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, the blast triggered a massive fire that destroyed the building where the products were kept.
“The fire reportedly broke out in a residential property where illicitly refined petroleum materials, including condensate meant for resale, were being stored,” Fyneface stated.
He explained that the information was relayed by members of YEAC-Nigeria’s One Million Youth Volunteers Network of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters in the Niger Delta based in ONELGA.
Fyneface said the explosion occurred around 11 a.m. on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of five people—four women and one man—who were burned beyond recognition.
He called for a thorough investigation into the tragedy and cautioned residents, particularly youths, to steer clear of activities such as pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, illegal refineries, and the storage and sale of unauthorized petroleum products.
Additionally, Fyneface urged the Federal Government to revive its proposed Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI), first introduced on July 27, 2020, to legalize artisanal refining activities and establish modular refineries to accommodate local refiners in the Niger Delta.
