*Renaissance Africa Energy Company’s oil spill in Ikata community
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — A major oil spill has occurred in Ikata community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, from a pipeline operated by Renaissance Africa Energy Company Ltd , the firm that recently acquired Shell’s onshore assets in Nigeria.
The spill, which happened in the early hours of Monday, is spewing from a 14-inch crude oil pipeline along the Okordia–Rumuekpe right of way.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria, confirmed the incident in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, hinting that the spill must have been caused by sabotage.
“Our volunteers on ground reported the spill through our Crude Oil Spill Alert System, COSAS. They observed that vandals had excavated the ground and tampered with the pipeline, resulting in a massive release of crude oil into the environment,” Fyneface said..
Describing the spill as “serious and destructive,” YEAC-Nigeria said the crude has been spreading across the community, damaging the ecosystem and threatening livelihoods.
“This act of third-party interference is not only a crime but an environmental disaster. We call on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, to immediately commence a Joint Investigation Visit to determine the cause and scale of the spill, and invoke the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021 to ensure accountability,” the group stated.
*Renaissance Africa Energy Company’s oil spill in Ikata community
Viral video clips and photos from the spill site, shared by YEAC volunteers, show pools of crude oil oozing from the pipeline and contaminating the soil and surrounding vegetation.
In response, NOSDRA has confirmed the occurrence of the spill and said arrangements are underway to mobilize a joint investigation team to the site.
Efforts to get a response from the management of Renaissance proved unsuccessful, as calls and text messages to the company’s spokesperson, Mr. Michael Adande, went unanswered as of the time of filing this report.
Renaissance Africa Energy took over the operations of Shell’s onshore assets in Nigeria earlier this year following a $2.4 billion divestment deal.
