They alleged that the materials meant for the conduct of the local government delegates election were hijacked by Chibuike Amaechi faction.
Mr Jonathan urged governors across Nigeria to refrain from directly getting involved in the day-to-day running of local government affairs.
“Perhaps they didn’t wash the tank very well before welding, that’s why it exploded,” the source said.
There has been turmoil in Oyigbo for weeks, and a military deployment appears to have worsened the crisis.
The community with its over 300,000 people has seen dozens killed by soldiers since last week, even as residents run out of food and water.
The police and the Rivers government have produced no evidence that IPOB is complicit in the recent attacks or that locals killed were IPOB members.
Residents who fled Oyigbo, which lies just east of Port Harcourt city centre, could not immediately say when it would be safe for them to return.
Rampaging vandals on Wednesday afternoon attacked and burnt two police stations and a high court.
The violence came days after the police warned against October 1 protests by residents, especially members of the separatist Indigenous Peoples of Biafra.
