Nigeria investigates suspected oil spill in Ntafre — Premium Times Nigeria
In the coastal community of Ntafre in Akwa Ibom State in southern Nigeria, a creek was reported to have possibly been contaminated with crude oil. Residents said they faced problems with fishing and access to safe water and are demanding an urgent cleanup of the area and compensation.
As Premium Times Nigeria reports, fishers noticed a sharp smell of petroleum products and stains resembling crude oil on boats on September 10. According to community youth president Nelson Smith, catches on which most local residents depend have declined since the incident.
Samples sent for analysis
On September 16, Nigeria’s National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Environment, representatives of oil companies, and civil society organizations conducted a joint inspection of the Ntafre creek. Participants in the inspection saw traces of possible oil on vegetation, shrubs, and mangrove trunks.
Representatives of NOSDRA, the ministry, and the companies collected samples from vegetation, bottom sediments, and water. They are to be analyzed at a laboratory in Port Harcourt, including oil fingerprinting, to determine the source of the contamination and the possible owner company.
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Hekston Okoba, assistant chief scientific officer at the NOSDRA office in Uyo, said that crude oil was visible on the water and in the surrounding environment during officials’ first visit on September 11. During the joint inspection on September 16, specialists found mainly contaminated areas on mangroves, shrubs, and vegetation.
Companies await results
Amni International, Seplat Energy, Tulcan Energy, and Savannah Energy took part in the investigation. Their representatives said they saw traces on vegetation but did not notice an oil sheen on the water during the inspection. A representative of Tulcan Energy urged NOSDRA to inspect oil and gas facilities near the community to determine whether infrastructure had been damaged.
NOSDRA said that TotalEnergies and Sterling Oil had been informed about the investigation, but they did not take part in it. Network Oando was present but did not join the field inspection of the creek.
The civil society organization Peace Point Development Foundation called on the authorities to promptly publish the laboratory test results, provide residents with safe drinking water, and assess fishers’ losses. The organization also asked for long-term monitoring of water, bottom sediments, mangroves, and aquatic organisms in Ntafre and neighboring coastal communities.
