An oil spill has been reported in the Ikata community of Ahoada East Local Government Area, Rivers State, sparking new concerns among local residents and environmental groups about ongoing ecological degradation in the Niger Delta.
The spill occurred in the early hours of Monday and is suspected to have originated from a 14-inch pipeline situated along the Okordia-Rumuekpe right of way. The pipeline is now operated by Renaissance Africa Energy Company Ltd (RAEC), which recently acquired it from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in a $2.4 billion asset transfer.
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) confirmed the incident in a statement released in Port Harcourt. The Executive Director, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, revealed that volunteers from the group’s One Million Youth Volunteers Network and Crude Oil Spill Alert System (COSAS) detected the spill and reported signs of third-party vandalism.
According to YEAC-Nigeria, field volunteers discovered fresh excavation around the pipeline, suggesting that oil thieves may have damaged the infrastructure, leading to the leak. Dr. Fyneface described the spill as “seriously spewing crude oil into the environment and destroying the ecosystem.”
The group has urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to ascertain the cause of the incident. YEAC-Nigeria also called for the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to hold perpetrators accountable.
As of the time of this report, neither RAEC nor NOSDRA has made an official statement on the spill.
This latest incident adds to a growing number of environmental emergencies in the Niger Delta, where oil spills—often caused by pipeline vandalism—continue to threaten ecosystems and public health despite policy reforms in Nigeria’s oil sector.
