Explosion kills 5 in Rivers

Five people, including four women, have been confirmed dead following a fire outbreak caused by an explosion in a residential area of Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area in Rivers State, on Saturday.

Reports indicated that the blast erupted in one of the rooms within a compound where illegally refined petroleum products were being stored.

Confirming the incident in a statement on Saturday, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene, an environmental activist and Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, said the victims had been engaged in buying, storing, and reselling illegally refined kerosene and other fuel products.

Dumnamene urged the Federal Government to legalise modular refineries in the Niger Delta region to help prevent future tragedies, while also warning against acts like pipeline vandalism and the operation of illegal refineries.

His statement reads in part: “The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) has received and confirmed reports of an explosion and fire incident at a storage of illegally refined petroleum products in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State.

“The inferno is said to have occurred in a house where people purchased and stored illegally refined petroleum products, including condensate, for resale in the area.

“Members of the Advocacy Centre youth volunteers network under the auspices of the One Million Youth Volunteers Network of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters in the Niger Delta in ONELGA told the Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, that the incident occurred in the late hours of Saturday, April 26 by about 11AM, killing five persons, four females and one male burnt beyond recognition.”

Dumnamene also called for a detailed probe into the explosion and cautioned locals, especially youths, against participating in the illegal oil trade, including storing petroleum products in homes.

“We also used the opportunity to renew our call on the federal government to legalise artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta through the establishment of its July 27, 2020, proposed Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI) and/or modular refineries for artisanal refiners in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region to mitigate incidents of this nature,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the deaths and stated that investigations are ongoing.

Iringe-Koko revealed that the explosion was triggered when a resident attempted to cook noodles using a stove within the premises, igniting the fire.

She said, “What really caused the fire was that a resident brought a cooking stove to the place and was preparing noodles, which ignited the fire.

“She and three other women were burnt beyond recognition, and sadly, they lost their lives, including one of them who came to buy condensate (illegally refined kerosene). Investigation is ongoing.”