A crude oil spill has occurred in Ogale, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, coinciding with the establishment of the Federal University of Environmental Technology, Ogoni, by President Bola Tinubu.
The spill, reported on Monday evening, is suspected to be due to equipment failure at a Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) manifold. This comes as the bill for the environmental university, sponsored by Senator Barinaadaa Mpigi, was recently passed by the National Assembly and received presidential assent.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, reported that its “One Million Youth Volunteers Network of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters in the Niger Delta” alerted them to the spill at the Ogale Manifold.
The leaked crude is alleged to have filled underground pits and spread to the pipeline right of way near Lot-1 of the Ogoni cleanup project under the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP). The volunteers claim the spill occurred during maintenance work by contractors at the SPDC-owned manifold.
The situation was further complicated by alleged violence. The volunteers reported that the Eleme Youth President, Mr. Walter Olaka, invaded the spill site with alleged armed men, confiscating trucks used to evacuate the spilled oil and assaulting drivers. Mr. Gift Gongogo Nene was allegedly injured in the head during the incident.
YEAC-Nigeria, through its Crude Oil Spill Alert System (COSAS), called for a police investigation to restore peace. In a statement from Port Harcourt, Dr. Fyneface called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a joint investigation visit (JIV) to the spill site, invoke relevant sections of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021, and ensure containment, cleanup, and adequate compensation for those affected.
The spill highlights the persistent environmental challenges in the region, even with ongoing efforts to address oil pollution.
