A fresh crude oil spill has rocked Ogale, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, raising concerns over environmental degradation just as President Bola Tinubu establishes the Federal University of Environmental Technology, Ogoni.
According to Sahara Reporters, the spill, reported on Monday evening, is suspected to have resulted from equipment failure linked to the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) of Nigeria. The timing of this environmental disaster has intensified scrutiny on oil exploration practices in the Niger Delta, a region already plagued by decades of pollution.
The Federal University of Environmental Technology, Ogoni, was established following the passage of a bill sponsored by Senator Barinaadaa Mpigi and later signed into law by President Tinubu. While the university aims to promote environmental research and sustainable practices, the latest spill underscores the persistent threat of oil pollution that communities in Ogoniland continue to face.
Members of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, confirmed that their One Million Youth Volunteers Network of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters in the Niger Delta alerted them to the incident at the Ogale Manifold.
Reports indicate that the leaked crude filled underground pits before spreading to the pipeline right of way, dangerously close to Lot-1 of the Ogoni cleanup project under the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP). The volunteers attribute the spill to suspected equipment failure at the Shell-operated manifold, which allegedly occurred while contractors were performing maintenance work.
The aftermath of the spill took a violent turn as reports emerged of alleged intimidation and attacks at the site. Youth activists accused Eleme Youth President, Walter Olaka, of leading armed men to the scene, confiscating trucks used for crude evacuation, and assaulting drivers.
According to YEAC-Nigeria, Gift Gongogo Nene, one of the victims, was brutally attacked and stabbed on the head during the chaos. Eyewitnesses claimed the assailants were armed with dangerous weapons, including guns and daggers, escalating tensions in the area.
In response, the Advocacy Centre, through its Crude Oil Spill Alert System (COSAS), has called for an immediate police investigation to restore order. In a statement issued from Port Harcourt, Dr. Fyneface urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to determine the cause of the spill and enforce provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
The group further demanded that containment and clean-up efforts be expedited, and that adequate compensation be provided to locals whose farmlands and livelihoods have been affected.
This latest spill has once again cast a spotlight on the devastating impact of oil exploration in the Niger Delta, despite numerous government initiatives aimed at environmental restoration. Activists argue that without stronger regulations and accountability for oil companies, the cycle of pollution, conflict, and neglect will continue to haunt communities like Ogale.
As President Tinubu champions environmental education through the newly established university, the people of Ogoniland are left grappling with yet another ecological disaster—one that demands not just academic solutions, but immediate action from both the government and oil companies.
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