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About 12 people died in the recent oil pipeline explosion from an illegal oil bunkering site at Rumukpe community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State. Local authorities at the scene of the incident believed that the casualty figure would be higher than reported. The incident occurred at a tap head of the Trans Niger Delta pipeline reportedly owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company. Many vehicles, tricycles and motorcycles were also burnt in the blast. The Rivers State Police Command said its preliminary investigation showed that the victims were scooping crude oil products when the site caught fire.
The latest incident brings to 32 the number of people who had died since 2021 in Rumukpe community as a result of illegal oil bunkering. In October 2021, 20 people reportedly died as a result of oil bunkering. Also, in April 2022, over 60 persons were killed in Imo River illegal refining explosion at the boundary between Rivers and Imo states.
It is unfortunate that despite efforts by the government to curb oil bunkering, the menace has been on the increase in the oil-producing communities of the Niger Delta region. Security agencies say they have often discovered crude oil being tapped from a web of pipelines owned by oil companies operating in the area and refined into products in makeshift tanks. Worse still, the illegal oil business has resulted in the pollution of the environment
It is disheartening that pipeline explosion has become a recurring incident in recent times. The latest pipeline explosion in Rivers State is one tragedy too many. Last year, about 25 persons were confirmed dead in another illegal refining site in Abazi/Abacheke community in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State. The latest pipeline incident in Rivers State has further underlined the dangers of illegal oil bunkering.
The fight against illegal oil bunkering must be taken more seriously. There is the need to deploy adequate security around oil facilities in the region. The Rivers State pipeline explosion should be probed and those involved must be apprehended and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others. For decades, communities close to oil drilling operations and refineries have also been severely affected by the illegal refining of petroleum products.
In addition to the loss of human lives, farmlands and the aquatic life have been destroyed by illegal oil bunkering. A recent government data estimated that Nigeria lost $3.2billion of crude oil due to illegal bunkering between January 2021 and February 2022. Figures from the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) also revealed that Nigeria lost 272 million of crude oil from 2016 to 2020 due to oil theft.
According to oil and gas operators, crude oil theft is killing businesses in the oil and gas sector. This has adversely affected funding for needs like education, healthcare and other national priorities for development. Therefore, oil-bearing communities need provision of social amenities that will make them feel the impact of oil discovery in their area. However, the pipeline explosion incident should serve as a fresh wake-up call on the government to address the factors that make illegal oil bunkering a lucrative business.
Available information shows that there are many illegal oil refineries in Rivers State. Not less than 27 of them were destroyed last year. Nevertheless, the illegal business still booms. It is not in dispute that illegal oil bunkering has become a very lucrative business that involves highly placed individuals. Regardless of the risks involved, there would be more of such illegal oil refining explosions if government fails to tackle the factors that fuel illegal oil bunkering.
Unemployment and poverty are two major factors that contribute to the growing oil theft. Poverty has contributed to the illegal act. Moreover, the neglect of the oil-bearing communities by the oil companies can make some of their people to embark on the illegal but lucrative trade. Community leaders in the oil-bearing areas should be taken into confidence in providing intelligent reports on oil theft.
There is need for adequate policing of oil pipelines. Building more refineries, including the modular ones, will, to a large extent, stop the menace. The government can reduce illegal bunkering by providing jobs to millions of unemployed Nigerians, especially the youths. Let the oil companies provide potable water, good roads, schools and hospitals in the oil-producing communities.
