'People are dying avoidable deaths', Niger Delta communities laments, demand N50bn compensation from firms over ‘Environmental Genocide’

Asaba, Delta – Two prominent Ijaw communities in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, Opuama and Polobubo (Tsekelewu) have issued an ultimatum to two oil companies, accusing them of causing widespread environmental devastation through repeated oil spills and illegal dumping of hazardous drilling waste.

In a strongly worded statement released recently and made available to journalists, the communities demanded an immediate payment of N50 billion as compensation from Nigeria Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL) and its technical partner Elcrest Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, the operators of OML 40.

The communities also gave the companies a three-month deadline to fully clean up and remediate all polluted sites, threatening to shut down operations in the oil block if their demands are not met.

The statement, signed by Mr. Nehemiah Tobolayefa and Mrs. Tari Gideon on behalf of the Warri-based environmental NGO Save the Earth and Secure the Future (SESF), described the situation as “environmental genocide” and accused the companies of deliberate neglect despite clear evidence of equipment failure confirmed by Joint Investigation Visits (JIV).

“Three years after the major oil spill of October 28, 2023, at Opuama Flow Station, and despite several others before and after, NEPL and Elcrest have refused to contain, recover, clean up or remediate the impacted areas,” the statement read.

The communities cited Section 4(1) of the Environmental Guidelines and Standards for the Petroleum Industry in Nigeria (EGASPIN 2002), which explicitly makes operators responsible for the containment, recovery, and proper disposal of any spill within their operational area, regardless of the cause.

Residents say the pollution has contaminated drinking water sources, destroyed farmlands and fishing grounds, and triggered a surge in strange illnesses and premature deaths.

“People are dying avoidable deaths. Our children are sick. The air stinks of crude. We can no longer fish or farm,” a community leader told DAILY South Nigeria on condition of anonymity.

The statement contrasted the companies’ inaction in the Niger Delta with international best practices, citing BP’s swift acceptance of multi-billion-dollar liability after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the United States and Total’s response to the 1999 Erika spill off the coast of France.

The communities further accused the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) of complicity, claiming the agency has failed to sanction the operators despite participating in several JIVs that confirmed equipment failure as the cause of the spills.

The communities have formally notified the following bodies:Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources
Federal Ministry of Environment
Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Government of the United States of America

They warned that failure to meet their demands within three months will force them to pursue legal action and possibly enforce a total shutdown of operations in OML 40.

“This is our final appeal for justice. If nothing is done, we will have no choice but to defend our lives and environment by every lawful means available,” the statement concluded.

As at the time of filing this report, neither NEPL, Elcrest, nor NOSDRA had issued an official response to the allegations and ultimatum.