Crime
Crude Oil Thieves Perish in Rivers
Almost 40 suspected oil thieves have paid for their illegal acts with their lives at the Okari Jetty, Okirika Local Government Area, Rivers State.
It was gathered that they were choked to death in the early hours of Thursday, after inhaling substance from the stolen crude they were loading into their boats.
According to community sources, many other individuals involved in the illicit act were yet to be traced, even as the incident has left the entire local government area devastated.
The storyline has it that the incident occurred when a vessel anchored at a jetty along the riverside to load a petroleum product for export, and over 200 persons mostly youths from neighbouring communities stormed the jetty with locally made boats to illegally load from a tapped point.
READ ALSO: NMDPRA Shares July Domestic Cooking Gas Supply Details
Reliable sources aver that while the loading was going on the pungent odour of the product saturated the air and choked the victims.
The source added that many of the criminals collapsed into the river and those who managed to escape the scene, left with serious respiratory challenges for which they are being treated at an undisclosed hospital in Port Harcourt.
Confirming the incident, Executive Director, Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, said its network of youth volunteers and human rights defenders in the Okrika Local Government Area reported that no fewer than 37 had been confirmed dead after inhaling “Indorama fuel”.
Dr. Fyneface, in a statement in Port Harcourt, said the victims had connected a pipe to a tapping point on a pipeline that normally transported product from Indorama Eleme Petrochemical through the Port Harcourt Refinery to vessels that usually came every two weeks to load for export.
He said: “According to the report, no fewer than 37 persons suspected to be oil thieves died after inhaling what is locally called ‘Indorama Fuel’. Many others are still missing. The incident occurred during the illegal loading of the product into a ship at a tapping point.
“The incident is said to have occurred at about 12:00am on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at the Okari Jetty, Okrika Mainland area.
“The report further stated that while a vessel was loading the product and the men were simultaneously loading into their waiting boats from the illegal tapping point, they inhaled the product being pumped at high pressure. This led to the death of not fewer than 37 persons. Many are still missing, and some corpses have been seen floating on the river but have not yet been recovered”.
He called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to carry out a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the site of this incident.
He requested the companies that owned the vandalised facilities to provide adequate security on their pipelines to prevent a recurrence of the ugly incident.
He said: “The Advocacy Centre condemns this act of sabotage by the youths and warns them to stay away from oil and gas infrastructure due to the high pressure and associated dangers.
“While calling for investigation into the incident, the Advocacy Centre also calls on the government to provide alternative livelihood opportunities, including the canvassed modular refineries and the legalization of artisanal refining.
“This can be achieved through the establishment of YEAC-Nigeria’s proposed Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI) as well as the proposed Niger Delta Industrial Park to provide alternative opportunities for displaced artisanal refiners in the Niger Delta.”
Though, locals in the Okari jetty told newsmen that the number of casualties in the incident could be over 43, but the confirmed number is 37 as at the time of filing the report.
Police spokesperson in Rivers State, ASP Agabe Blessing Karbalo, who confirmed the incident, said the victims were allegedly attempting to steal crude oil.
She said that while no official complaint has been lodged with the command, it has commenced an investigation.
She said, “The suspects reportedly died in the process of attempting to steal crude oil. However, no official complaint has been received in connection with the incident at this time.
“Investigation is ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and ascertain the facts.”
The Nigerian Navy (NN) has uncovered three suspected illegal refining sites containing about 98,000 litres of petroleum products in Okarki community, Ahoada West Local Council of Rivers State.
It was gathered that the discovery was made on October 10, 2026, during an operation conducted by Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder under Operation Delta Sentinel.
The Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, gave the details in a statement, exposing that the sites contained approximately 65,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and 33,000 litres of products suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel.
The products were stored in about 12 dugout pits and containers across the three locations.
The Navy said no arrests were made because the suspected operators had fled before the arrival of the naval team, adding that the sites and products were subsequently handled in accordance with established procedures.
READ ALSO: NNPC Petrol Discount: Oyedele Explains How Lower Margins Could Boost Profits
According to the statement, the discovery highlights the scale of suspected illicit petroleum storage in the area and the risk of the products entering unlawful distribution channels.
The Navy said the operation disrupted storage activities at the three locations and denied suspected operators access to a substantial quantity of petroleum products for further illegal handling and sale.
It added that it would sustain intelligence-led patrols and operations to identify illegal refining facilities, disrupt the storage and movement of suspected stolen petroleum products, and support efforts to bring those responsible to justice in accordance with the law.
The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a suspected cultist, Kingsley Odo, who allegedly travelled to the state to avenge the death of his brother.
The suspect was intercepted by operatives of the Safer Highway patrol team during a routine stop-and-search operation on a commercial bus along Ife Road.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Ayanlade Olushola Olayinka, said the operatives recovered a locally made, cut-to-size pistol and a cartridge during a search of the vehicle.
SEE ALSO: Oyo Police Begin Probe Into Abduction of Pastor’s Daughter In Ibadan
Olayinka said further questioning revealed that the suspect had travelled to Oyo State to carry out a revenge killing over his brother’s death.
“Further questioning revealed that he had travelled all the way from Anambra to Oyo State to carry out a revenge killing,” he said.
He added that the suspect had been arrested and was undergoing investigation to establish his connections and determine the extent of his alleged activities.
“All thanks to God and the good effort of the men of the Safer Highway, he was intercepted, arrested, and is currently undergoing investigation to know his connections and how wide it is,” Olayinka said.
Suspect Recounts Brother’s Death
During an interview following his arrest, Odo said the incident stemmed from the death of his brother in 2021, when he was working in Benue State.
He explained that his brother was schooling in Nsukka, Enugu State, when he received information that someone had killed him.
“It was in 2021. I was working in Benue State, so I had information that my brother, who was in school in Nsukka, had just died in the school, that somebody killed him in the school,” he said.
Odo added that his mother died a few weeks after his brother’s death.
He said he subsequently received information that the person allegedly responsible for his brother’s death was living in a southwestern state.
“So, last month, I had information that the boy is living in a state, a Yoruba state. So, I said okay, I will find out that place where he is living,” the suspect said.
He explained that he was travelling from Nsukka towards Oyo State when police operatives intercepted and arrested him.
When questioned about whether he knew the exact location of the person he intended to confront, Odo initially said he did not know the particular state but confirmed that he was heading to Oyo State.
“The information is with me,” he said, suggesting that he had information that could help him locate the individual.
Suspect Says He Bought Pistol for ₦20,000
When questioned about the firearm recovered from him, Odo said he purchased the pistol from a friend for ₦20,000.
“I bought it from my friend,” he said.
Asked what his friend did with firearms, the suspect said the individual might be a hunter.
“I don’t know, maybe he’s a hunter. A hunter who kills with pistol? Yes, he has this one and long, so he was the one that sell this one for me, 20,000,” he said.
Suspect Confirms Membership of Vikings Confraternity
During the interview, Odo was also questioned about reports that his deceased brother belonged to a cult group.
He said he could not confirm whether his brother was a member.
“Maybe he belongs, maybe he did not belong, because I was not there with him,” he said.
However, when asked whether he belonged to a cult group himself, the suspect answered in the affirmative and identified the group as Vikings.
The police said investigations were ongoing to establish the suspect’s connections and determine whether other individuals were involved in the alleged planned revenge killing.
Police Rescue Three Kidnap Victims in Taraba After Sustained Pressure
The Nigeria Police Force has disclosed the rescue of three kidnapped victims in Taraba State following sustained pressure mounted by its rescue teams.
The victims were identified as Otuwe Torhumba, 37; Kenneth Nyiutse, 35; and Michael Emmanuel, 27.
The Force made the disclosure on Saturday, October 3, 2026, in its 24-hour operational update covering security operations recorded across the country on October 2.
ALSO READ: 2027: Ogun Police Begins Early Election Security Preparations, Warns Against Political Violence
According to the Police, “Due to sustained pressure by Police rescue teams, three of five kidnapped victims — Otuwe Torhumba (37), Kenneth Nyiutse (35) and Michael Emmanuel (27) — were rescued unharmed and reunited with their families.”
The Police said the three victims were rescued unharmed and subsequently reunited with their families.
The Force did not provide further details on the circumstances surrounding the abduction or the whereabouts of the remaining two victims in the operational summary.
The case is currently being investigated by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Jalingo.
The rescue was among several operational successes recorded by the Nigeria Police Force during the reporting period.
Navy Recovers 98,000 Litres of Suspected Stolen Crude in Rivers
DPRP’s Appeal Against Fuel Import Licence Ruling Earns Stakeholder Backing
State Govs, Wike Endorse One-Party State, Join APC Campaign Council
2027: ‘Tinubu Has Done Well’ – Wike Tells Opposition to Speak the Truth
‘Celebrate This Poor Man’ – Shettima Defends Tinubu Over Economic Crisis
FG Withdraws Charges Against ‘Fake Agency’ DG, Adeniyi Adeyemi
Trump’s Family Unveils New Cryptocurrency Platform
Senate Denies Receiving Petitions Against Tinubu’s Ambassadorial Nominees
Dangote Cement Lights Up Benue Host Communities With CSR Initiatives
Reps Recommend 3-year Jail Term For Aviation minister
Tems Sets New Record On Billboard Hot 100 Chart
