ICYMI: Fresh oil spill hits Rivers community

A fresh oil spill has occurred along the Trans-Niger Pipeline, operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company joint venture (SPDC JV) in Bodo community, Gokana LGA, Rivers.

Monday Mene, an activist and resident of the community, told TheCable that the spill occurred in the early hours of July 4 in the Sugi area of Bodo community, Ogoni land.

Since then, the resident said, the oil leak has persisted — affecting the livelihood of community members.

“The pipeline passes through farmlands and there are flows like underground waters where people depend on. So, the pipeline spilled into their farmlands, sabotaging part of their crops,” Mene said. 

Mene attributed the cause of the leak to an “equipment failure” on the Shell-owned pipeline.

He said the community has written to relevant government authorities to ensure that a joint investigation visit (JIV) ascertains the true cause of the spill.

Mene said this is crucial to the peace and wellbeing of the community due to previous incidents which caused unrest in the community.

Speaking on the issue, Dumnamene Fyneface, the executive director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to swing into action with a view of conducting JIV to the spill site.

Speaking to TheCable, a source at Shell said the JIV report has been released and the content would soon be disclosed to the public.

The Trans-Niger Pipeline, a major facility capable of transporting about 180,000 barrels of crude per day, resumed operations in 2023 after a one-year shutdown.