Police launch full-scale inquiry into Rivers oil bunkering fire

The Rivers State Police Command has ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the fire that claimed the lives of over 30 people at an oil bunkering site in the state’s Ibaa Clan, Emohua Local Government Area.

The State’s Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, revealed 15 individuals killed in the fire event in a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday, three days after the disaster.

Iringe-Koko stated that police on receipt of report of the incident mobilized to the scene of the incident and supported in the evacuation of victims.

The PPRO noted that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Nwonyi Emeka, who ordered the investigation has also caused parents to take responsibility for guiding their children and wards from activities that could disrupt the quest for peaceful and sustainable development.

She said: “On Sunday, October 1, 2023, at 23:30 hours, the Rivers State Police Command received distress information about a tragic fire explosion at Ibaa community, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.

“Regrettably, fifteen individuals, among them a pregnant woman, lost their lives in this devastating incident, while an additional twenty people suffered various degree of burn injuries. These casualties were as a result of an explosion at an oil pipeline owned by a major oil company, which had been illegally accessed for crude oil extraction within a forested area.

“Swift response by police patrol team from Rumuji Division promptly arrived at the scene. They documented the incident with photographs and also facilitated a dignified evacuation of the deceased for proper burial by their grieving families. Those who sustained burn injuries were swiftly transported to nearby medical facilities for essential treatment.

“The Rivers State Police Command has initiated a thorough investigation to ascertain the root cause of this pipeline vandalization with the intention of bringing the culprits to justice.”