Nigerians have expressed grief over the death of more than 100 persons in an explosion at an oil bunkering site in Imo State on Friday night.
While most Nigerians expressed shock over the incident, some others blamed oil bunkering on the high rate of poverty and hunger in the country, which they say would not allow the illegal activity to stop.
No fewer than 109 persons died when an illegal crude oil refining site at Abaezi forest in Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of the state exploded.
Residents woke to see the firestorm, which burnt scores of people involved in the business beyond recognition.
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Charred remains littered the forest following hours of the blaze that raged throughout the night and prevented terrified residents from coming close.
The inferno also consumed at least six vehicles.
However, some victims escaped with varying degrees of burns.
Providing an update on the tragedy Friday night, the Head of Operations of the National Emergency Management Agency, Ifeanyi Nnaji, said 109 bodies were recovered from the forest.
Multiple reports also said many people involved in the activity drowned while attempting to escape.
The State Governor Hope Uzodinma sympathized with family members of the victims but condemned the illegal business.
Represented by the state commissioner for petroleum resources, Goodluck Oprah, Uzodinma said all the victims were burnt beyond recognition.
He said, “Most of the people engaging in this act are from Rivers, Bayelsa and other neighbouring states, and it is sabotage for our people to allow this illegal activity to continue.”
While decrying the impact of the tragedy on agricultural and aquatic lives in the area, the governor appealed to the people to desist from the business, which he described as suicidal.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) confirmed the incident saying the scene of horror was between Rivers and Imo states.
The Public Relations Officer of NSCDC, DSC Olufemi Ayodele, said: “The fire occurred in an illegal bunkering site situated at the boundary between Rivers State and Imo State, leading to the death of men, women and children in hundreds who were burnt beyond recognition at the early hours of Saturday 23rd April, 2022.
“The State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Rivers State Command, Abu Tambuwal, said the command condemns all act of sabotaging the economy of the nation, environmental degradation, fire outbreak through oil bunkering activities.
“He affirmed that the command under his watch will not leave any stone unturned in the fight against illegal dealings in petroleum products, oil theft and illegal bunkering activities.
“While commiserating with the families and loved ones of the bereaved, Tambuwal commended the efforts of the security agencies, the Nigerian Army, DSS, Nigeria Police and the NSCDC, who carried out emergency response, crowd control and adequate security in the environment to prevent nefarious activities by hoodlums.”
Also confirming the heavy casualty figure in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital Saturday, a non-government organisation (NGO), Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC), confirmed that more than 100 persons died at the site.
The Executive Director of YEAC, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, said that many vehicles that were waiting to buy the illegal products were also burnt.
He said: “Photographs and short videos sent to Advocacy Centre showed several dead bodies, most of them burnt beyond recognition on the ground with those of others who might have attempted to run from the fire and explosion hanging on some trees branches.”
Some Nigerians who commented on the disaster in different posts on a Facebook Page, “Egbema United HQ,’’ allegedly created for Egbema people said the business would continue in the area.
