Roasted and charred human bodies were found littered in oil bearing community in Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State.
This was the product of oil bunkering in the area. An alleged story by an eyewitness has it that an oil explosion from an illegal oil bunkering rocked the serene oil producing community of Obitti in Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area.
While the illegal oil operation was going on, some group of suspected vandals emerged from the bush and engaged the bunkers in a gun duel to disperse them.
Exchange of fireworks consequently sparked off an explosion with a resultant inferno, which led to deaths and destroyed the stationary tanker.
- The explosion, which claimed several lives, properties and farmland estimated at several millions of naira reportedly arose from the activities of some hoodlums who dug a deep hole in a nearby bush, fixed a long pipe in it from where they scooped crude oil into a hired standby tanker.
Our correspondent who visited The reports from scene of the disaster show wailing and lamentation by relatives of the victims whose charred bodies littered the scene.
Some residents of the embattled community within the vicinity had fled their homes for fear of possible interrogation by security agencies.
Reacting in confirmation of the gory incident, the Imo State Police Command through the Public Relations Officer, ASP Henry Okoye disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma had already set up a high-powered investigation team to unravel the immediate course of the incident and arrest the culprits. However, the Police Spokesman said that he was yet to ascertain the actual number of victims, especially the dead ones.
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