BREAKING: Protest Rocks Heritage Facility Over Abandoned Spill In Delta

By Joseph Bienbo, Warri

Angry women and stakeholders from the Odidi and Kantu federated communities staged a large-scale protest on Tuesday, shutting down activities at the Odidi Flow Station over what they described as a protracted and abandoned oil spill allegedly caused by Heritage Energy Nigeria Limited System Failure since 19th February 2026.

The demonstrators, who stormed the facility as early as dawn, blocked access roads to the installation and demanded immediate action to contain and remediate an oil leak that has reportedly been flowing unchecked for over five months.

The protesters carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Heritage, Clean Our Land Now”_“Stop Killing Our Rivers”_, and _“No Clean up no Operation” “Heritage be held responsible for any loss of life in our communities” among others. The protesters said the spill has devastated fishing grounds, farmlands, and sources of drinking water in both communities.

Speaking on behalf of the affected communities, Chief Bene Mamamu, secretary to the Odidi community accused Heritage Energy of neglect and insensitivity to the plight of host communities. According to him, repeated complaints and letters to the company have yielded no visible remediation or compensation.

“We can no longer watch our children drink polluted water while our creeks turn black,” one of the protesters said. “For more than five months, Heritage has abandoned the spill site. We are demanding that they come now and repair the facility.”

The women also issued a direct appeal to government and regulatory agencies. In a resolution read at the flow station gate, Chief Bene Mamamu called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, DPR and NOSDRA to act quickly.

The communities urged the authorities to “prevail on Heritage Energy Limited to urgently repair, contain, and clean up the abandoned spill, and to hold the company accountable for the environmental damage caused.”

Residents say the spill has led to a sharp decline in fish catch, contamination of farm produce, and rising health concerns including skin irritations and respiratory issues. Fishing and farming are the primary livelihoods in Odidi and Kantu, both located within the Ijaw riverine area of Delta State.

The protest caused a temporary disruption of activities at the Odidi Flow Station. Security operatives were seen at the scene monitoring the situation to prevent escalation.

According to the communities the protest will continue until Heritage Energy mobilizes to the site and begins a transparent cleanup and compensation process.

Meantime, efforts to reach Heritage Energy Nigeria Limited for an official reaction were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.