Elizabeth Vincent, Yenagoa
Residents of Egweama community in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have appealed to the state government and relevant environmental authorities to urgently intervene following a crude oil spill that polluted the community’s shoreline and surrounding waterways on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
The residents, who depend largely on fishing and other river-related activities for their livelihoods, said the incident had heightened fears over the safety of their aquatic environment, threatened their sources of income and exposed them to potential health and socioeconomic hazards.
Although the actual source of the spill has yet to be established, some community sources have alleged that it could be linked to the operations of AITEO eastern exploration and production company, particularly the movement of its oil vessels transporting crude from the Nembe creek area towards the Atlantic Ocean.
Some fishermen in the community also accused the company of allegedly discharging waste from its oil vessels into surrounding waters, a practice they claimed could be responsible for the pollution; however, the allegations have not been independently verified, and the precise cause of the spill remains uncertain.
Speaking on the incident, the chairman of the Egweama community development Committee, Mr Tonye Yemoleigha, appealed to the Bayelsa state government to intervene without delay and ensure that those responsible for the pollution were identified and compelled to undertake immediate remediation and a comprehensive clean-up of the affected environment.
Yemoleigha also called for the deployment of relevant environmental agencies to the community to assess the extent of the contamination, determine its source and ensure that appropriate measures were taken to prevent further pollution.
He further urged the government and relevant stakeholders to provide urgent medical assistance and relief materials to residents to cushion the economic and health implications of the incident.
According to him, the spill has already worsened the economic difficulties confronting the people, whose livelihoods depend heavily on fishing, fish processing and other activities sustained by the surrounding waterways.
He lamented that the pollution of their fishing grounds had placed the community in a difficult situation, as residents depend on the river for their daily survival and economic sustenance,the community chairman stressed that the people should not be left to bear the consequences of an environmental incident they did not cause, insisting that immediate intervention was necessary to protect their health, livelihoods and natural resources.
The residents are therefore demanding an urgent investigation proper identification of the source of the spill, environmental impact assessment, medical intervention for potentially affected persons and adequate compensation for any verified losses suffered by the community.
They also called for sustained monitoring of the affected waterways to ensure that the pollution does not spread further or cause long-term damage to the marine ecosystem.
The community appealed to the Bayelsa State Government, the national oil spill detection and response agency (NOSDRA) and other relevant regulatory bodies to urgently visit the area, establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and ensure that appropriate remedial action is taken.
For a better society
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