Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has confirmed an oil spill at Ebubu, Eleme LGA, in the state of Rivers.
SPDC is the Nigerian division of the international oil corporation Shell Plc.
In a statement released on Saturday, SPDC spokesperson Micheal Adande said that a government-led joint inquiry team is trying to determine the incident’s cause and impact.
The statement adds, “Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) confirms an incident on the Ebubu and Oghale Manifold 12 pipeline in Rivers State.”
“A joint investigation team lead by the government is attempting to determine the cause and impact of the occurrence.”
In a statement obtained by TheCable, Fineface Dumnamene, executive director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC), urged industry stakeholders to examine the occurrence.
According to him, the spill has been occurring for three days and the spill point has not yet been sealed.
According to community sources cited by Dumnamene, the likely reason of the spill is equipment failure, which will be confirmed by a joint investigative visit (JIV).
He claimed that some locals were attempting to “cover up the oil spill for Shell” for their own benefit.
Advocacy Centre, a frontline youths and environmental advocacy organization in Nigeria that works with communities in the Niger Delta region to address environmental concerns, seek ecological and environmental justice, and campaign against environmental pollution, among others, is in direct contact with members of the network in the community as well as some community leaders and will release more details about this new oil spill in Ebubu Community (Ogoniland) as they become available.”
