In Rumuekpe community, Emohua Local Government Area, Rivers State, an explosion at a pipeline tapping point resulted in the deaths of dozens of people.
People who were reported dead were allegedly involved in the illegal refining of stolen crude oil. Through the organization’s Crude Oil Spill Alert System, the incident was confirmed by Fyneface Fyneface, Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Center (YEAC-Nigeria) (COSAS). According to Fyneface, the explosion occurred at around two in the morning on Friday when a driver of one of the buses carrying stolen crude oil kicked the ignition. The siphoned crude oil was being delivered by the bus to the locations of the illegal refineries.