Precious Anga
Lagos — Communities in Nembe, Bayelsa State are once again counting their losses after a fresh crude oil spill from Oil Mining Lease (OML 29) leaked into their rivers and fishing grounds, further deepening environmental damage in an area already battered by years of pollution.
The incident, which residents say began early Thursday morning around 6:45 a.m., occurred at Ikensi in Nembe Local Government Area. Locals reported that an underwater pipeline began discharging crude oil directly into surrounding waterways, with no immediate containment in sight.
By mid-morning, the spill had already spread into adjoining creeks used for fishing, drinking water and transportation, triggering panic across nearby settlements.
Speaking to newsmen, Chief Clarkson Obiakpa of Opu Nembe said residents were the first to notice the leak and raised the alarm to the operator.
“The spill was discovered early on Thursday morning, around 6:45 am. Crude oil is still flowing into our waterways. No response team has arrived,” he said.
“Our rivers, fishing grounds, and drinking sources are already being affected. We are deeply concerned about our survival and livelihood.”
For many families in the area, fishing is not just an occupation but the backbone of daily survival. That is what makes the latest spill particularly painful for residents who say they are watching their only source of income being destroyed in real time.
Chief Edwin Otiete-Goli, another community leader, described the situation as a direct hit on livelihoods.
“This spill has devastated our waters and our means of livelihood,” he said.
“Our fishing grounds are polluted, and our ecosystem is under serious threat. We call for immediate accountability, full remediation, and justice for our people who depend entirely on these waters for survival.”
The OML 29 oil field is operated by Nembe Exploration and Production Limited, formerly Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Limited. The asset includes the Nembe Creek Trunk Line, a 97-kilometre pipeline that has long been central to crude evacuation from the region.
Aiteo acquired the oil field and pipeline in 2015 following Shell’s divestment, in a deal valued at about $2.4 billion.
But over the years, the infrastructure has struggled with repeated operational disruptions, including oil theft, vandalism and frequent leaks linked to crude evacuation challenges.
After years of attacks on the Nembe Creek Trunk Line, operators shifted away from full pipeline transport and began moving crude through barges and smaller vessels to offshore facilities for export. That system, introduced as a temporary solution, has itself become vulnerable to spills during loading and transfer operations.
Residents say the latest incident is part of a worrying pattern of recurring pollution events in the area, often with slow or unclear emergency response.
They also recall a recent spill along the Atlantic coastline affecting Okpoama and other neighbouring communities, where crude oil reportedly discharged during vessel-to-tanker operations.
So far, Nembe Exploration and Production Limited has not issued an official statement on the latest spill, while regulators and company officials say assessments are ongoing.
For communities in Okpoama, Ikensi and surrounding settlements, however, the damage is already visible: blackened water surfaces, disrupted fishing activities, and fears that contamination may spread further into the food chain.
As residents wait for clean-up efforts to begin, trust in the system remains low. What is clear on the ground is that another spill has once again turned rivers that once sustained livelihoods into polluted corridors of crude oil.
