Delta Community Raises Alarm Over Two-Month-Old Oil Spill, Calls for Immediate Cleanup, Relief Efforts

By Joseph Bienbo, Warri

Residents and leaders of the Odidi Federated Community in Warri South-West LGA, Delta State, have called on the Management of the Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited, HEOSL, to stop the ongoing leakage from its Trans Forcados Pipeline and carry out a cleanup without delay.

According to the stakeholders, the spill which has lingered for two months has disrupted fishing activities, contaminated waterways, and put public health at risk.

Speaking to Congress news on Saturday, the community chairman, Amb. Gbenekama Truston, said the leakage has continued for more than two months without any intervention from the operator.

“It’s been over two months since the spills started on their pipeline, and nothing has been done to stop it. No cleanup has taken place up to now,” Truston stated.

He appealed to HEOSL to quickly deploy contractors to fix the pipeline and begin remediation work, noting that the spill is devastating the environment and the waterways which is their only source of water for domestic use. “These are riverine communities that depend on fishing. Right now, the women can’t go to the river because the water is badly polluted,” he said.

Gbenekama also called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, and the Ministry of Environment to compel HEOSL to act. Residents say the spill has made it hard to breathe and has destroyed aquatic life and mangrove vegetation.

He warned that the situation mirrors a 2015 incident in the same area, where alleged negligence reportedly led to the death of a woman and her four children.

“We cannot allow a repeat of that tragedy,” he said. “Children are struggling to breathe due to the pollution. Relief materials are needed urgently because everyone – women, elders, and children – has been affected.”

The community secretary, Chief Bene Mamamu, said patience was wearing thin. “We are peaceful people, but we’re tired of waiting. If they don’t come to intervene and clean up, we’ll take our protest to their office,” he said.

The chairlady of the community, describing herself as a daughter of the soil, said, “We can’t even fish anymore. I’m begging them to come and clean our environment so we can live in peace.”

Community leaders warned that if the company fails to act quickly, they will take further steps to safeguard their environment and wellbeing.

“The authorities need to move fast. Time is not on our side,” Mamamu said. “This is a clear message to the operators.”

However, efforts to get a response from HEOSL management were unsuccessful as of press time. A visit to the affected area showed the oil had spread widely and required urgent action to protect lives.