At least five people have been confirmed dead after a devastating explosion at a house where illegal petroleum products were stored in Rivers State. The tragic incident took place in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) late on Saturday, April 26.
According to a statement by the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), the fire erupted at a residential building used for storing and selling illegally refined petroleum products, including condensate. The products were allegedly bought from local artisanal refiners and stored dangerously in homes around the community.
Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, the Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, noted that the explosion killed five individuals — four women and one man — who were burnt beyond recognition. He warned the public, especially young people, against engaging in crude oil theft, illegal refining, and unsafe storage of petroleum products, saying such practices could easily result in disasters like this one.
The Advocacy Centre also renewed its appeal to the federal government to take steps towards regulating artisanal refineries. Dr. Fyneface called for the creation of the Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI), a proposal first made in 2020. He said that formalising and legalising artisanal refining through initiatives like PACORDI or modular refineries could prevent future tragedies and reduce the dangers linked with illegal refining in the Niger Delta.
When asked about the incident, the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the explosion. She explained, “It was a condensate kerosene product that was stored to be sold. Somebody brought a lighted stove close to the place where the product was stored to cook Indomie and that ignited the fire,” she said.
Iringe-Koko added that four people lost their lives at the scene and assured the public that “police will investigate the matter.”
