Bayelsa Community Decries Oil Spill

Residents of Agge community in Ekeremor local government area of Bayelsa State, have decried the massive oil spill from the Bonga Oil Field operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and its joint ventures.

It would be recalled that in March 2025, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) had divested its onshore assets in Nigeria to Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.

The spill, which reportedly began on January 24, 2026, has polluted the Trans Ramos River, the community’s main source of drinking water and livelihood.

Indigenes lamented that they now drink contaminated water and feed on dead aquatic animals, leading to increasing cases of sickness among children and adults.

Speaking with journalists in the community, the Paramount Ruler of Agge, Chief Precious Isiaye, lamented that crude oil is still spilling into the river weeks after the incident began.

He said no remediation has taken place and no compensation has been provided to support affected families with medical bills.

“What have we done wrong to allow the government tap from the God-given resources in our rivers? Must we all die because government is generating revenue from our backyard?

“Many people are finding difficult breathing. Just imagine drinking from the polluted source for more than three weeks now. Our children are falling sick and the cost of treatment is borne by us while other people are making money from our resources.

“Nobody is giving us good drinking water in this community. The one that our forefathers left for us in the rivers is what oil exploration and oil spill is damaging now. We don’t have road to Agge. If we cannot drink from the river, do we need to paddle canoe to Yenagoa or Warri to get drinking water?

“Our patience is getting out of hand. They should remediate the spill immediately and ensure adequate compensation to Agge people,” he said.

The community has issued a one-week ultimatum to SPDC and the relevant authorities to clean up the spill or face protest.

Also, the women leader of the community, Mrs Loveth Akin, said the spill has destroyed aquatic life in Agge and surrounding communities in Bayelsa and Delta states.

According to her, dolphins, tilapias, crabs and other sea creatures, which form the main source of income for many women, have been wiped out.

She said, thespill “occurred during a maintenance work of the Bonga oil field and despite using dispersant measure to suppress the crude under the water, the crude oil still surfaced and flowed through the Atlantic Ocean into Agge community.

“The people’s only source of survival has been damaged by the spill. They are yet to see any compensation from the SPDC, Snepco, Starling and their joint venture since the incident occurred.”

A community leader, Chief Omonibekeme Ebi, added that despite hosting oil facilities, Agge still lacks access road, forcing residents to travel by water under risky conditions.

Residents also reacted to the Bayelsa State Government’s ban on illegal mining of silica, popularly known as black sand, by a Chinese company in Agge.

While the government insists that the activity poses environmental and health risks, some residents fear the decision could lead to job losses.

As at the time of filing this report, the management of Renaissance Energy, the company that acquired onshore assets from SPDC, had yet to respond to enquiries, as its spokesperson, Mr Michael Adande, did not reply to calls or text messages.