Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — A massive fire caused by crude oil spills has continued to rage in Agum-Bukuma community, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, leaving the community in distress as the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, works to identify the source of the spill.
The fire, which has been burning for over a week, has devastated aquatic life, destroyed farmlands, and contaminated the community’s sole source of drinking water.
Although the cause of the spill and the concomitant fire are yet to be ascertained, residents of the area believed the fire was avoidable but for negligence from the facility operator, as the oil spill had been on for over four weeks before the fire.
According to Emmanuel Kejeh, Special Assistant on Media to NOSDRA’s Director-General, Chukwuemeka Woke, the agency would conduct laboratory tests to determine the company responsible for the leaking facility.
NOSDRA confirmed that the fire was yet to be put out, explaining that this type of fire was challenging to extinguish.
“It’s not a fire that the fire service can put out. Even if the crude oil pipeline is turned off, the fire will continue to burn on the already spilled crude until it extinguishes itself.
“There are so many pipelines in that creek, and until the lab test is done, we can’t ascertain who owns the facility,” Kejeh told SweetCrude Reports.
The oil spill and fire have been classified as a “mystery spill,” a term used to describe leaks from unidentified sources in areas where multiple oil companies operate. The vicinity in Degema hosts several oil firms, including Shell Nigeria, Eroton, and Sahara, among others.
“Any company you call will keep denying ownership of the facility until NOSDRA presents evidence from the lab test,” Kejeh added, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to ensuring the responsible party is held accountable.
Meanwhile, residents of Agum-Bukuma are pleading for both the government and the companies operating in the area to act swiftly to contain the fire and mitigate the environmental damage, as their livelihoods and health hang in the balance.
The Youth Leader of Bukuma, Taribo Horsefall, called for immediate intervention by the operators of the facility, to contain the fire and address the spill.
