October 23, (THEWILL) – At least, five suspected illegal oil bunkers have been confirmed dead following an explosion on Friday at an illegal refining site in Rumuekpe, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.
THEWILL gathered that the incident occurred when one of the ovum (pot) used in cooking crude oil at the site exploded.
The site in Rumuekpe where the incident occurred is one of the hundreds of illegal refineries dotting the Niger Delta. The make-shift refineries are popularly referred to as Kpofire in the region.
Villagers blamed the incident on oil bunkering carried out by youths from communities that make up Rumuekpe.
Confirming the development, commander of the local vigilante group in Rumuekpe community, Frank Nwazimutor, said at least five persons have been confirmed dead while over 20 others sustained various degrees of burns.
Nwazimutor explained that four of the victims were members of Rumuekpe community while others were not indigenes of the community and were yet to be identified.
“The fire outbreak was caused by the kpofire business that they do. There was a fire outbreak that caused loss of lives. It is not true that up to 20 persons have died. 22 persons were burnt but the dead body we have counted now is five.
“Some are from our community and others are outsiders, others we cannot identify who were caught up in the fire. That is where the problem lies right now.
“The community is not too tense, rather, where the pressure is, is in the forest where the bunkering business is going on. Inside the community, it is calm”, the vigilante group commander said.
Rumuekpe community is part of OML 58 host communities hosting TotalEnergies/NNPC Joint Venture.
The community also plays host to several oil and gas pipelines, flow station, oil wells and other facilities operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Nigerian Agip Oil Company and the Nigeria LNG Limited, among others.
The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the explosion.
Omoni said he was yet to ascertain the number of casualties.
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