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Crude oil from the Trans Forcados Pipeline has polluted waterways, swamps, and farmlands in Odidi community, Delta State.
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Residents call on Heritage Petroleum, Federal and State Governments for emergency food, clean water, and relief aid.
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Community leaders blame decades-old pipeline failure and alleged delayed company response for escalating disaster.
A major oil spill has devastated Odidi community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.
It forced residents to demand urgent intervention from Heritage Petroleum Company, the Federal Government, and the Delta State Government.
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The incident, traced to the Trans Forcados Pipeline operated by Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL), was reported on September 8, 2025.
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Community chairman, Mr Preye Okrikpa, said the spill has contaminated drinking water, destroyed crops, and crippled livelihoods, leaving families in desperate need of food and medical supplies.
In a signed statement presented at a press conference, he warned that Odidi faces “starvation” if immediate relief is not provided.
According to Okrikpa, the oil spill has submerged swamps, waterways, and farmland in crude oil, sparking fears of long-term ecological collapse.
The pipeline, originally commissioned in 1971 by Shell Petroleum Development Company, is now 54 years old and has suffered severe corrosion.
Community sources disclosed that the Public Relations Officer, Mr Alagoua Innocent, had earlier notified Heritage Energy of the leak but claimed the company delayed its response, worsening the environmental damage.
Observers described the disaster as a grim reminder of the recurring plight of Niger Delta oil-bearing communities, where ageing infrastructure, poor oversight, and weak corporate accountability have left residents vulnerable to repeated environmental crises.
