The attention of Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN) has been drawn to an oil spill occurred at Baranyowa Dere (B-Dere) in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
EDEN’s field team who visited the site of the spill on the 11th of May, 20205, spoke to a middle aged man who lives very close to the spot of the oil spill. He revealed that residents of Sor-Gava started to notice crude oil spewing from a section of the pipeline right of way which traversed this community in the afternoon of Tuesday 6th May, 2025.
A middle aged man who lives very close to the spot of the oil spill revealed that residents of Sor-Gava started to notice crude oil spewing from a section of the pipeline right of way which traversed this community in the afternoon of Tuesday 6th May, 2025.
Community sources also revealed that in spite of the efforts to get the operators to quickly contain the spill and prevent it fromcausing more damage to the environment, help did not come until three days later on Friday 9th May, 2025 when representatives of government institutions and the operators came for a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV).
A residents of Sor-Gava village who spoke to EDEN anonymously, disclosed that when the area of the spill was dug out to reveal the compromised section of the pipeline, it was confirmed that the spill was a result of equipment failure occasioning a rupture.
However, there was no copy of the JIV report available at the time of filing this report. EDEN gathered that staff and equipment from the operators are expected to arrive on Monday 12th of May, 2025 for total containment of the spill.
According to a report by EDEN’s Resource Mobilization Officer, Sebastian Kpala, while the residents of the area are awaiting the response team that will seal up the area, carry out clean up, and pay compensation for loss and damages, there is tension among sections of the community who allege that the operators have begun a process of offering inducements to some community leaders to allow them escape their responsibilities. It is reported that a top politician narrowly escaped attack by youths of the community on the day of the JIV.
Some members of the community expressed their concerns that they may not receive any compensation for their losses caused by the spill. They informed EDEN of their resolve to go to court to demand accountability and justice for the harm done to them.
EDEN also observed that while residents of the area are awaiting the response of the pipeline operators, other local people from other parts of B-Dere have been pouring into the area with kegs to fetch the spilled crude oil. Their mission is readily helped by the presence of a wide gully that was dug during the JIV. The spilled oil has collected into it like a huge receptacle. The local people were scooping the crude from this receptacle in large numbers. This further increases the environmental damage of the ongoing spill, and possible danger to residents of the area.
Speaking on the issue, Executive Director of EDEN, ChimaWilliams is calling on the operators of the pipeline to commence a follow up of its JIV by immediately cleaning up the affected area and restoring it to its original state.
He also called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Remediation Agency (NOSDRA) to rise up to its duties of authenticating JIV reports and prevailing on oil operators to handle spill cases with immediate action.
