Rivers Explosion: ‘I Didn’t Know My Brother Is Involved in Illegal Bunkering’

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A relative of one of the victims of the fire incident at an illegal oil refining site in Ibaa community, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, has lamented that he didn’t have the knowledge that his brother was involved in the illicit act.

The man, who gave his name as Pastor Henry Iyenatebo and a native of Bayelsa State, told journalists at the site of the incident that he was called by a neighbour informing him that his younger brother was a victim of the incident.

According to Iyenatebo, when he arrived the scene, his brother, who is   welder, had already died. He revealed that on identifying his corpse, he was immediately evacuated for a burial.

He said: “My name is Pastor Henry Iyenatebo. I am from Brass Local Government Area in Bayelsa state. 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 advised every person to keep themselves away from such situations but coming to hear that this happened to my own person, I was surprised. I was in the church before I had 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 brother was lying there helplessly. I asked what happened they said he went for Kpo fire business.

“I didn’t have a clue that Eric was into this kind of business because if I knew I would have stopped him on time. I am surprised to see this because that is not how he was brought up. We trained him on welding”, Iyenatebo cries.

The incident, which occurred Sunday night, claimed the lives of two pregnant women, a fresh graduate, and over 25 other persons who were burnt beyond recognition.

Paramount Ruler of Ibaa community, Jonah Wobodo Jonah has expressed fears that the casualty figure could rise.

Speaking with journalists, the monarch said a search party was in the bushes searching for persons that were still unaccounted for.

Wobodo said: “Right now we don’t know the exact number because you know it was not at home, it was in the bush. Some of them do these things (bunkering) in the forest. People are still searching for their people, many of them burnt beyond recognition.

“Many people were found dead, some people wounded. I heard that one of the victims is the son of the person doing the bunkering. That he also sustained wound and he lost his own son.

“It is a catastrophe and I am not happy about it. It is a sad day in the community. Nobody is happy.”

He expressed regrets that illegal oil activities were still going on in the community despite his repeated warnings on the inherent dangers.

“After hearing all my warnings and so on, I even sent town criers to go round the nook and crannies of the community several times. I even set up a taskforce and announced that there should be a stop to oil bunkering in Ibaa. That anybody who goes on bunkering, if he is caught, will be dealt with because it is bad.

“I have been warning, I have been warning and warning. In fact I have become an enemy to some of them. But I didn’t care because I know the danger that is involved. But now they have seen it and I think it should be a very big warning to all our sons. Those that are dead cannot come back again,” Wobodo added.

The state commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Igwebueze Basil, had revealed that 18 persons died in fire incident.

Basil hinted that “the fire outbreak started at a very late hour hence, 18 victims were burnt beyond recognition while 25 injured persons were rescued.”

According to him “From our preliminary findings it was gathered that the inferno was caused by a local refinery cooking pot constructed close to an oil reservoir which contained combustible materials, the burning temperature eventually became too high and the environment gutted fire.  We also gathered that the cooking pot belong to one Mr John Bodo who sustained severe fire injuries while his son, Uche John Bodo, a fresh graduate died on the spot.

“It is also lamentable to relay that most of the victim were youths, then a pregnant woman and a young lady getting ready for her marriage ceremony next month were all casualties”.

As at the time of this report, the state government was yet to comment on the incident.