Investigators Link Oil Spills In Rivers To Equipment Failure

The report of the Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) on oil spills in Bodo community in Gokana local government area of Rivers State, has revealed that failure of equipment was the major cause of the spills.

Members of the JIV included officials of the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SDPC), National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRIC) and Federal Ministry of Environment.

Our correspondent observed that no fewer than four oil spills occurred in different parts of Bodo community in August 2022 alone, leading to the destruction of the environment.

It was further observed that all the spills occurred along the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) operated by oil giant, Shell.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt yesterday, a representative of Bodo community in the JIV, Legborsi Yamaabana, said members of the team were unanimous in their decision.

Yamaabana, who is also the President-general of Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF), commended the people of Bodo City for their tenacity, resolve and togetherness.

He said the revelation had not only vindicated them, it had also lent credence to the call for multinational oil companies (OICs) and their joint venture (JV) partners to replace their outdated pipes in Ogoniland and the Niger Delta to forestall further oil spill.

The community representative, however, noted that mapping to ascertain the volume of spilt crude and scope of impact was yet to be concluded.