Environmentalists Decry Fresh Oil Pollution In Ogoniland, Call for Urgent Intervention

Environmental groups, led by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), have raised alarm over new oil pollution incidents in Ogoniland, Rivers State, following a Trans Niger Pipeline rupture, which has severely impacted the B-Dere community in Gokana Local Government Area. The spill caused significant distress and displacement, with residents fearing for their health and safety.
A visit by HOMEF and other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to the spill sites revealed a community grappling with the immediate and long-term consequences of exposure to toxic hydrocarbons.
Mrs. Augustina Biebie, a woman leader in B-Dere, lamented the worsening restlessness in the community. “The spill brought crude oil into houses of many of our people. The thick smell of crude oil has affected our health. Breathing has become a problem, and it has become difficult to even feed because some of us cannot light fires in our kitchens,” she stated.
Pastor Kpobari Bani, whose house was directly affected, expressed fears of explosion, leading to his mother’s displacement. He appealed to Renaissance Energy, the new owners of the pipeline following Shell’s divestment, and relevant government authorities to urgently stop the spill and remediate the land.
Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of HOMEF, expressed profound disappointment at the slow response from government and oil companies. “We are in a disaster zone and further disasters can erupt from even an accidental spark of fire. This level of laxity is absolutely unconscionable,” Bassey asserted.
He urged all relevant authorities, including NOSDRA, NESRA, MENA, and HYPREP, to take swift action to curtail the spread of crude, shut down the leaking pipeline, and initiate urgent clean-up and remediation efforts.
Bassey reiterated that the government should focus on cleaning up Ogoniland rather than seeking to open new oil wells, advocating for the decommissioning of old wells.
Environmental activist, Celestine Akpobari echoed these sentiments, highlighting the incident as a stark reminder of why restarting oil exploitation in Ogoni is opposed.
“This is supposed to be a remediation site, but as you can see it is an ecological crime scene. We are afraid that if this is not properly contained, the damage will be far worse than what we see,” Akpobari warned.
HOMEF called for immediate action to plug the leakage, remediate the affected land, and conduct a thorough health audit on the exposed community members. The organization emphasized that government must demonstrate care for its people and the environment, urging that aged oil facilities be decommissioned and alleged divestments nullified to ensure accountability from those responsible for environmental degradation.
The B-Dere incident follows a similar explosion in the Bodo community on March 17, 2025, which resulted in a massive fire spreading through mangroves. These recurring spills underscore the significant risks communities face if oil extraction activities resume in Ogoniland.