Anger is mounting in several riverine communities in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State after the death of a 67-year-old fisherwoman, Atete Zuku, popularly known as Mama Terry, amid the prolonged pollution caused by a crude oil spill.
Zuku, a mother of seven from Egenugbene village, reportedly died after sustaining a head injury when she slipped on crude-oil-coated wooden steps while returning from a fishing trip.
Her death has intensified protests by residents of Odidi, Kantu, Keremor and surrounding communities, who accuse the authorities and the operator of the affected pipeline of failing to act decisively despite months of pollution.
Speaking after a protest at the Keremor Manifold, where the leak occurred, Zuku’s son, Terry Ogisi, said his family struggled to obtain medical treatment for his mother after doctors reportedly recommended surgery estimated at N8 million.
Ogisi said the family moved her between hospitals in search of treatment but were unable to secure the required care.
According to him, the situation worsened after they were told there was no available bed at the General Hospital, forcing them to seek assistance at another facility in the Link Road, Ajamimogha area.
He said his mother eventually died at about 5am on September 10.
The spill began on February 19 along the Trans-Forcados Trunkline, operated by Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited, and has reportedly spread across waterways serving Odidi Federated Community and dozens of other riverine settlements, extending into Burutu Local Government Area.
Residents say the contamination has severely disrupted fishing, polluted sources of drinking water and compounded difficulties in obtaining food and other necessities.
At the protest, women and youths carried placards expressing their frustration and demanding government intervention. Some of the messages read: “Federal Government, save our soul,” “We are suffering, no food, no water,” and “Six months spill without repair is wickedness.”
The protesters also issued a one-week ultimatum for the damaged pipeline to be repaired, warning that they would shut down operations in the area if their demand was ignored.
The affected Trans-Forcados facility, located within Oil Mining Lease 30, is regarded as a major crude evacuation route, with a reported capacity of about 600,000 barrels per day.
Odidi community leader, Friday Deighan, said government regulatory agencies had inspected the affected location but that their visits had not translated into containment of the spill or meaningful remediation.
“We are in the seventh month and we are still experiencing this,” Deighan said, while calling for an immediate cleanup, relief supplies and compensation for affected residents.
Monday Keme, Principal Secretary to the Amakosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, said the communities would take action if the pipeline remained unrepaired after the ultimatum expired.
Keme recalled previous deaths allegedly linked to oil pollution in the area, saying the communities had continued to bear the consequences of environmental degradation for years.
He urged the Federal Government and agencies responsible for regulating the petroleum sector, including the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), to intervene.
Keme claimed that roughly 80 per cent of the territory belonging to Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom had been affected by the pollution.
He said the communities were seeking urgent government intervention before resorting to the threatened shutdown.
Chairman of Odidi Federated Community, Truston Gbenekama, said the spill had effectively destroyed the traditional economic activities of residents.
“The people can no longer fish, they don’t have water, in fact, they do not have water. Up to this moment, there is no medical relief for the people,” he said.
The community’s Secretary-General, Chief Bene Mamamu, went further by calling for the withdrawal of Heritage Energy’s operating licence, alleging that the company had failed to adequately respond to the crisis.
He also restated the community’s demand that the pipeline be repaired immediately.
The impact of the pollution was illustrated during the protest by Mary Ekpenu, a fisherwoman from Ebisoko village, who displayed a damaged fishing net and described the worsening conditions faced by residents whose livelihoods depend on the waterways.
Donye David of Izansa community said a Joint Investigation visit had attributed the incident to a technical failure on the ageing pipeline.
David, however, accused Heritage Energy of failing to respond adequately to repeated appeals from affected communities.
The communities acknowledged receiving some food supplies from the company but said the assistance was insufficient to address the scale of the crisis.
They are demanding comprehensive medical support, access to clean water, environmental remediation, compensation for losses and immediate repairs to the damaged pipeline.
Heritage Energy has yet to publicly respond to the latest allegations.
An official of the company acknowledged an earlier media inquiry in a WhatsApp message dated July 9, stating that the enquiry would be addressed by close of business. However, no substantive response had been received as of the time of filing the report.
Further requests for the company’s reaction to the protest, the reported death and the communities’ ultimatum were sent to its officials on Sunday, but no response had been received.
