Fresh Oil Spill In Bayelsa Community

A fresh oil spill has been reported in the Ogboinbiri community, part of the Apoi clan in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The spill, which occurred on Saturday, took place near Oando’s Ogboinbiri Flow Station located in the deep swamp area of the council. Although operators of the facility could not be immediately reached for comments, reliable sources confirmed that the incident was caused by equipment failure, with a rupture occurring at the 6 o’clock position—directly beneath the pipeline.

Reacting to the development, the Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN) expressed concern over the recurring spills. The Deputy Director of EDEN, Comrade Alagoa Morris, noted that the latest spill marks the fourth equipment-related incident in the area between September 2024 and May 3, 2025.

Speaking in Yenagoa on Tuesday, Morris—who also serves as the Technical Assistant to the Bayelsa State Governor on Environment—decried the frequency of spills and called for urgent action.

“With regular integrity checks on facilities and timely replacement of aging pipelines, the high frequency of oil spill incidents would be drastically reduced,” he said.

Morris stressed that only the prompt recovery of spilled crude oil, comprehensive cleanup, and proper remediation of affected environments would suffice.

“The sooner these measures are implemented, the better—especially as we are approaching the rainy season,” he added.