A fresh oil spill has hit the Bodo community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, destroying farmlands and rivers, which are the main sources of livelihood for the people.
The oil spillage occurred on Thursday, July 4, 2024, at about 12:45 am from a pipeline belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company. This is the second incident in two months, with the previous one happening in May.
Monica, an affected resident, said, “We heard a blast at about 1 pm and later discovered that the spillage had destroyed our farmlands and rivers. It will be difficult for us to survive as farming and fishing are our main sources of income. We appeal to the government to come and help us.”
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Damian Gbogbara, Coordinator of Eco Defence Alliance, a non-governmental organisation, condemned Shell for failing to provide permanent solutions to the problem of oil spills in the area. “We have lost count of oil spill incidents in Bodo due to incessant occurrences. We warn that caution should be exercised by relevant authorities to avoid any crisis in the community,” he said.
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Gbogbara called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency to embark on a joint investigation visit with Shell and other relevant stakeholders to the spill site.
“The JIV report will help to hold the companies accountable and serve as evidence-based documents for possible litigation on ecosystem destruction,” he stated.
He added, “There is a need for transparency in the whole process, from constituting the JIV team to its implementation and its final result to avoid any form of crisis as witnessed in the past.”
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