Communities in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have been left devastated by two recent oil spills that have contaminated streams, creeks, and farmlands.
The spills, which occurred on October 4 along the 14-inch Ogboinbiri/Tebidaba pipeline owned by Oando, have affected several communities, including Ogboinbiri, Keme-ebiama, Kolokologbene, Gbaraun, Apoi, and Ukubie.
The Deputy Executive Director of the Environmental Defenders Network, Alagoa Morris, confirmed the spills in a statement on Thursday.
He revealed that the twin spill points are located near the site of an earlier spill that occurred on September 5, also on the same pipeline.
Morris, who visited the affected area on Monday, reported that the oil spill has spread into the Ogiori stream, Apoi Creek, and several downstream communities, worsening the situation for local residents.
Chairman of the Keme-Obama Council of Chiefs, Chief Newstyle Ogiori, expressed deep concern over the impact of the spill.
He noted that the spill had severely contaminated the water supply, which local residents rely on for drinking, cooking, and bathing.
“Because of the spill, we cannot use the water for anything. If not for the rain, we wouldn’t have water to cook or even bathe,” Ogiori lamented.
The spill has also affected farmlands, with floodwaters spreading the contamination to crops such as plantain and cassava, further deepening the crisis for local farmers.
Residents expressed frustration that the spill occurred while the community was still waiting for Oando to address the damage from the previous incident in September.
“This is not the first time. It has happened several times, and when we complain to the company, they always ignore us. No relief materials, nothing. We always suffer in silence,” Chief Ogiori added, appealing to the government, Oando, and concerned citizens for urgent intervention. The community is currently using bamboo barriers in an attempt to slow the spread of the crude oil downstream.
The Environmental Defenders Network has called on Oando to immediately mobilize resources to clean up the spill and urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, along with government authorities, to respond adequately to the crisis.
Efforts to reach Oando for a response have so far been unsuccessful.
