{"id":2558,"date":"2025-07-01T07:41:49","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T06:41:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecolonistreport.com\/Africa\/?p=2558"},"modified":"2025-07-01T10:31:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T09:31:49","slug":"oil-spill-disaster-part-1-nigerian-communities-struggle-with-diarrhea-scabies-and-hunger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecolonistreport.com\/Africa\/oil-spill-disaster-part-1-nigerian-communities-struggle-with-diarrhea-scabies-and-hunger\/","title":{"rendered":"Oil Spill Disaster: Part 1 \u2013 Nigerian Communities Struggle with Diarrhea, Scabies, and Hunger"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This six-month investigation by Sunday Elom, Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi and Faith Imbu revealed the environmental cost of oil spills in the Niger Delta, their impact, and the government’s failure to properly implement the 3% host communities’ fund. We travelled to Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Akwa-Ibom States to reveal the level of environmental cost of oil spills.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo showing affected Fishpond in Emu Obedeti\/Sunday Elom <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It was a Monday morning, cloudy and it seemed like rain was about to drop when The Colonist Report Africa <\/strong>entered Ayamasa community in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just at the bank of the river where our reporter had disembarked from the speedboat, community residents were seen arriving into the community while some were exiting the village by boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the riverbank, commercial motorcycles were parked as the drivers waited for passengers. Children were seen enjoying the cloudy weather, playing football with their clothes off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But beneath the apparent calm, Ayamasa, a small village in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and a host community to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), now taken over by Oando Plc in September 2024, is slowly suffocating under the weight of oil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With every spill from the Tsuomo-Ogainbiri Gas Delivery Pipeline, the community sinks deeper into hunger, disease, and despair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One might expect that a community hosting a multinational company and benefiting from the established law of 3% shares for host communities would have basic amenities such as access to healthcare centers, potable drinking water, and clean air. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the opposite is true. Environmental pollution from oil spills has destroyed community farmlands, contaminated drinking water, and affected rivers where fishers catch fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"One
One of Ayamasa residents suffering from scabies\/Sunday Elom November 21, 2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Life in a Polluted Paradise <\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Residents of the community claimed that diarrhea, scabies, amongst others, affect them every time there is an oil spill from the Tsuomo-Ogainbiri Gas Delivery Pipeline in the community. The Colonist Report Africa also saw rashes on the skin of some residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chairman of the community,  Apeikumo Aleibiri, accused  the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) for polluting the community through its constant gas leakage and oil spills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He described the company\u2019s activities as a major cause of climate change in the area, leading to more frequent and higher floods and excessive hot weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neither did NAOC or Oando respond to our email for comment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aleibiri told The Colonist Report Africa that despite his community\u2019s contribution to the wealth of the country through its oil and activities resource, the community has continued to suffer, as they seem to have been sidelined. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He pointed out that for over six years, there has not been electricity supply in Ayamasa community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome areas of our water now have no fish in it because when the oil spills everywhere, fish cannot stay there again,\u201d Aleibiri said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don’t have fish anymore. Apart from the big river, the swamp areas don’t have fish anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ayamasa
Ayamasa Community road leading to company’s oil pipeline\/Sunday Elom November 21, 2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He further noted that while oil spillage from the company\u2019s pipeline spills over to the swamps and rivers, killing fishes, the gas from the company station is blown by the breeze, which pollutes the atmosphere and also affects residents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe odour gives us diarrhea and particular sickness that causes itching on the body,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some residents say they usually scratch their bodies as a result of the air pollution. \u201cIt is more or less like chicken pox. When it is serious, once you enter our community, you see everyone scratching their bodies,\u201d Aleibiri said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked about the major cause of the oil spill, Aleibiri said, \u201cOur people, the youths, vandalize it (pipeline) because they are making money from it. This gas they are vandalizing brings sickness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe suffered this sickness for over a year plus. Even till now, some people still have it in our community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe healing just started three months ago, which is from July [2024] but since they stopped the vandalization of the pipelines, the odour has stopped coming to us or reduced and the problem has subsided but overall, we are still suffering a lot in our community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A screengrab from Nigerian oil monitor website on oil spills in Emu Obedeti, Delta state\/ Sunday Elom<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Checks on the records by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) website showed that the latest spill in the community occurred on May 3, 2024, at the pipeline location, 6” Tuomo-Ogbainbiri Gas Delivery Pipeline at Ayamasa gas line. According to the report from NOSDRA, the spill was caused by the activities of vandals who hacksaw cut about 133mm of the pipeline at a 5-7 o\u2019clock position at the gas delivery pipeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further investigation by The Colonist Report Africa shows that between January 2015 and June 2025, NAOC had a total of 1429 incidents, spilling 18339.20 barrels of crude oil in Bayelsa State, while OANDO recorded 25 incidents, spilling 223.94 barrels of crude oil between 2024 and 2025, according to data from the incident report of the Nigeria Oil Monitor data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Infographic
Infographic designed with the support of ChatGPT\/Prompt Engineer: Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Both NAOC and OANDO did not respond to our email seeking for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security, Silence, Government and Corporate Neglect<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ayamasa community in Nigeria’s Niger Delta is grappling with severe environmental degradation and neglect from both state and federal governments, according to community leaders.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former Vice Chairman Mr. Benjamin and current Chairman Aleibiri described a landscape ravaged by oil spills, leaving residents facing a multitude of challenges.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lack of basic amenities like healthcare, clean water, and electricity is pervasive.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We don’t have a good hospital, no doctor here,” Aleibiri stated, highlighting the community’s reliance on the distant Bomadi town general hospital for medical care, Aleibiri added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The soil, contaminated by oil spills, renders agriculture unproductive, further exacerbating the community’s hardships.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Residents report that even their medications are becoming ineffective due to the pervasive pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"crops
crops in Ayamasa destroyed by oil spill\/ Sunday Elom on November 21, 2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Their primary source of drinking water, the extension of the River Niger, is also contaminated, impacting the community’s health and well-being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the Nigerian government attempted to provide alternative water sources through pipe-borne water systems, Aleibiri told The Colonist Report Africa that most of these projects remain uncompleted and the completed one has been non-functional, from its completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence, the community depends on the contaminated river and one functioning pipe-borne water provided by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Climate and Agriculural  Toll<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The economic consequences of environmental damage are devastating.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our agricultural life is no more as it used to be because of the effects of the oil and gas stations,” Aleibiri lamented, describing the widespread damage to crops and the resulting food insecurity.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lack of economic opportunities has also contributed to a rise in crime, with many young people turning to oil pipeline vandalism and highway robbery out of desperation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the community’s status as a host community to oil and gas operations, the benefits are minimal.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While a government-contracted security outfit, TANTITA, has provided some employment, the number of Ayamasa residents employed is far below the expected quota for a host community, according local sources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, a small number of “sit-at-home” slots for elderly individuals are provided by the oil company, but these are insufficient to address the widespread poverty and lack of support.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The community members also alleges that the oil companies are failing to uphold their obligations under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), diverting funds intended for the community towards pipeline repairs.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“They (oil company) said they use it to repair the pipelines. So after the repairs, nothing is given to us as a host community,” Aleibiri said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The impact of the oil spill extends beyond economic hardship, drastically altering the climate and weather patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We don’t know the difference between dry and rainy seasons anymore,” he noted, describing unpredictable rainfall and persistent flooding that damages crops and further destabilizes the community’s food supply.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lack of clean-up efforts, coupled with the persistent flooding, further compounds the already dire situation, leaving residents struggling to survive amidst widespread poverty, environmental damage, and governmental neglect.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the presence of prominent community members in government, the Ayamasa community continues to be overlooked, highlighting a systemic failure to address the needs of this marginalized community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked if Oando had carried out any community development projects since taking over from Agip in September 2024, Aleibiri said no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cThey only invited us to a meeting. Even the Christmas gifts, they (Oando) gave us nothing. Agip used to give us a cow, bags of rice, groundnut oil, and other things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that during a meeting with Oando in October 2024, the company merely introduced itself to the community and asked them to itemize their needs and concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe told them about the problems in our area. We discussed many things at that meeting, and afterward, they said they would call us back, but they haven’t called us again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regarding the effects of oil spills and gas flaring on his farming, he said, \u201cThis has terribly affected my farmland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll my plantains died after the oil spilled, flowed through the water, and touched them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen the oil spilled during the dry season, all my cassava died because my entire cassava farm was affected. My wife’s cassava farm across the house was also completely destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aleibiri said he doesn\u2019t know the exact amount the oil company should pay the community as the 3% Operating Expenditure (OPEX) to a host community, as stipulated in Section 257(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, he reiterated that while Agip operated the pipeline, the company paid the community N37 million over 2-4 years, claiming it used the remaining funds to repair vandalized pipelines and conduct cleanup exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked who or where the N37 million was paid to and its purpose, Aleibiri said, \u201cThe money was paid under an agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A female farmer and community resident, Mrs. Gloria Apeikumo, who also spoke about the damage caused by oil spills and gas flaring in the community, lamented that all her farms and fish ponds have been destroyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking in Pidgin English, Gloria explained to The Colonist Report Africa that the spill caused widespread hunger, as it destroyed her cassava farms and fish ponds, leaving her family with nothing to eat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 “This oil spill has caused serious hunger for my family,” she said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She detailed the loss of her crops and fish, leaving her deeply in debt and relying on credit to feed her children.  “I need help,” she pleaded, emphasizing the need for financial assistance to restart her life and business after the environmental catastrophe, and calling on the government and oil companies to provide support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scale of the disaster is evident in her account of the complete destruction of her livelihood and her desperate plea for aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attempts to obtain copies of the letters the community said they sent to the government authorities and oil companies were unsuccessful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the new Community Development Chairman, Mr. Jonah Ekokeme, confirmed having copies of the letters, he could not release them despite repeated requests from our reporter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Emu Ebendo signpost<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Struggles of Delta Community Residents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Ayamasa Community in Bayelsa State, a visit to Emu Obedeti community in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, was another record of lamentation of destruction of farmlands, acute hunger and diseases caused by oil spill and activities of oil companies in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emu Obedeti is a neighboring community to the Emu Ebendo community which hosts the 12″ MWOG\/UPIL Pipeline Facility being operated by Midwestern Oil & Gas Corporation (MWOG). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pipeline facility runs through the Emu Obedeti community, making it a co-host\/benefiting community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emu Obedeti is also a host community to an oil well being operated by Energia Limited, an oil company which the community members said is also operating 12″ MWOG\/UPIL Pipeline Facility alongside Midwestern Oil & Gas Corporation and Pillar Oil Limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data from the oil monitor website shows an incident of oil spill in Emu Ebendo on June 23, 2024 following Illegal attachment of 2″ Ball Valve with Galvanize pipe extension mounted at 12 O’ clock position on 12″ MWOG\/UPIL Pipeline Facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between July 2016 to October 2024, data from the oil monitor website shows that MWOG had 49 incidents, spilling a total of 335.91 barrels of crude oil in Delta State. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When contacted, Midwestern Oil and Gas (MWOG) told The Colonist Report Africa that the 12-inch crude oil pipeline is operated and managed solely by Umugini Pipeline Infrastructure Limited (UPIL).  \u201cUPIL holds complete operational responsibility, encompassing maintenance and community relations.  Therefore, Midwestern cannot directly address concerns about oil spill data, pipeline incidents, or project implementation,\u201d the company said.  For transparency, MWOG referred our inquiry to UPIL.  Midwestern affirmed its commitment to responsible upstream oil and gas operations, accountability, environmental stewardship, and stakeholder engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read full statement from the company sent The Colonist Report Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n

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