Reactions are trailing the death of over 30 persons at an illegal oil bunkering site in Ibaa Community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The Tide learnt that the incident occurred as a result of attempt to setup an illegal refinery at a bunkering site earlier closed down in Ibaa.
Paramount Ruler of Ibaa Community, Eze Wobodo Jonah, expressed surprise over the incident despite intense sensitisation against illegal oil bunkering in the area.
Chairman of Emohua Local Government Council, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, who spoke to newsmen at the site of the incident, said he was shocked over the incident.
He urged traditional rulers in the area to expose criminals in their neighbourhood and alleged that illegal oil bunkering is going on at Obele, Rumuji, Ndele, and Ibaa Communities.
He advised the youths against short cut to wealth, saying, “it does not pay”.
Recall that two pregnant women and others were said to have been burnt to death at an illegal oil bunkering site in Ibaa Community.
A community source also informed newsmen that 26 Support Engineer Regiment (SER – Nigerian Army Engineers) in collaboration with PINL, which is a joint security architecture in charge of pipeline surveillance in the area, along the RoW and its corridor , had embarked on massive clampdown and destruction of illegal refineries in the area.
It was gathered from an indigene who pleaded anonymity that the fire incident occurred as a result of attempt to set up illegal refinery at the said location after the GSA and PINL had previously destroyed the illegal refinery at the same location about two weeks ago.
He further stated that the accident could be linked to fear of a clamp down or arrest as PINL and GSA maintain presence all round the clock especially at night.
Representative of PINL, who spoke to journalists at the scene of the incident said the feedback from some community members revealed that the victims were burnt due to the illegal refining at the location as the illicit business was hurriedly been carried out for fear of the Private Security Contractor (PINL) and GSA.
PINL and GSA from 26 Support Engineer Regiment (SER-Nigerian Army Engineers) has intensified destruction of illegal refinery over the last six months.
PINL representatives who led his team along with some stakeholders to the scene expressed worry despite engaging hundreds of youths in Ibaa community in public enlightenment and on the dangers of illegal refining, they still engaged themselves in the illicit business of crude oil theft and illegal refining.
He further said PINL will not relent in its synergy with stakeholders in the community and relevant security agencies towards sensitising the youths to shun all forms of illegal crude oil refining in the area and also keep the TNP safe.
Speaking, Chief Security Officer of Ibaa Community, Rufus Welekwe, while expressing sadness over the incident, appealed to the youths of the community to stay away from illegal crude oil refining and ensure they engage themselves in legitimate businesses.
Meanwhile, some family members of the affected victims that were burnt to death have expressed sadness over the loss of their loved ones.
Speaking with newsmen, an elder brother to one of the victims, Pastor Henry Iyenatebo, from Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, said his relation is a victim of the incident.
“My relation is lying there as well. I don’t know what happened, because these are not the things I accommodate as a pastor.
“I schooled every person to keep themselves away from such situations but coming to hear that this happened to my own person, I was surprised”, he said.
He said he was in church when calls came that his relative was involved in the incident.
“I was in the church before I got a call that I should come to this community that something was going on.
“I asked what was going on and they said my younger one was lying there helplessly. I asked what happened, they said he went for Kpo fire business.
“He should be between 30-32 years old. Eric Isaac-Okoro is his name. I didn’t have a clue that he was into this kind of business because if I knew, I would have stopped him on time. I’m surprised to see this because that is not how he was brought up. We were trying to train him on welding.
“I have been able to identify him, and the family will do what they can to bury him within available resources”, he said.
A relative of another victim, Mfata Prince, said, “I don’t even know how she came to be part of this. I was just called this morning from Port Harcourt.
“It’s a very sad news. I never knew she was involved in this kind of business. She left our community and moved down to Ibaa to live with her boyfriend from Ibaa. We have been begging her to come back home but she refused.
“This is my first time of coming here. We are yet to identify the body, but according to the boyfriend, she left in the night to come here. That’s how we knew she is one of the victims”.
Speaking further, the CSO of Ibaa Community, Chief Welekwe, lamented that the leadership of the community has been preaching against illegal oil bunkering activities in the community.
“The community chief has been shouting for everybody to stop this because the Federal Government does not want it and we don’t want it in our community.
“Now, it has happened, they have seen the result of what that man is saying. They said some are from Ogbodo Community, some from Rumuji Community, some from Odogha and I can’t exactly know”.
Meanwhile, there are plans to hand over the corpses to their relatives to avoid epidemic in the community.

By: John Bibor