At least 109 people, including young men, women and children have now been confirmed killed following an explosion at an illegal oil refinery at Abaezi forest in Ohaji-Egbema, a town that borders Imo and Rivers State on Saturday.
During his visit to the scene, Imo state Commissioner for Petroleum Resources, Goodluck Opiah, expressed shock over the incident while also condemning the illegal activity that led to the explosion and deaths.
Opiah who disclosed that the owner of the illegal refinery, Okenze Onyewoke had been declared wanted by the government of Imo State, said that most of the people engaging in the illegal activities are from Rivers, Bayelsa and other neighbouring states.
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“I can’t really confirm the number of the deceased because many family members have removed the corpses of so many others,” Opiah said. “Look around, you’ll find smokes coming from this illegal act. If this is not enough for any person to stop, I think the community is heading for what I can’t describe”.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari has described the incident in Imo state as a “catastrophe and a national disaster”.
In a statement on Sunday, Buhari offered his condolences to the families of the victims and said that those responsible for the explosions must be caught and brought to justice.
While it is not clear yet what triggered the explosion, this is not the first time such an explosion is rocking similar dangerous sites where safety measures are not enforced. There have been concerns over a lack of precautions at such facilities as well as over the environmental pollution they cause.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
