Rivers Community Protests Fresh Oil Spill at Shell Manifold

The people of Ogale Community in Eleme Local Government Area, Rivers State, have staged a peaceful protest over a recent oil spill at a Shell Petroleum Development Company manifold located within the community. The protest followed an acknowledgment from Shell that the spill occurred two weeks ago while personnel were flushing oil from the server pit at the manifold.

Clad in black attire, the protesters carried placards bearing messages such as “Shell has poisoned our groundwater,” “declare state of emergency on the environment of Ogale,” “Shell is killing us with their operations,” and “justice for Ogale ending the scourge of oil spills.” The demonstration saw women sitting on the bare floor in tears, visibly affected by the environmental destruction.

Youth president of Ogale, Comrade Noble Worlu, expressed the community’s frustration, stating that the people had endured suffering at the hands of Shell for far too long. “We have suffered enough in the hands of Shell,” Worlu said, highlighting the community’s collective action as a sign of unity. “We are dying of strange illnesses, suffering from monthly spills. The last spill occurred just last week in this same facility. When will this end? When will Ogale people get justice?”

The community’s demands included compensation for the victims of the spill, a thorough health audit to determine the impact of the pollution on residents, and the provision of clean drinking water, which has been contaminated by the oil spills.

Chief (Mrs) Igwe Benjamin Ngajima, a female traditional ruler in Ogale, emphasized the detrimental effects on agriculture, particularly on women, who are suffering from infertility and other health issues linked to the pollution. “Our crops are not growing anymore. Our cassava, cowpeas, and cocoyam yield nothing. The environment is severely degraded, and our women are bearing the brunt of the pollution,” Ngajima said.

The protestors are demanding that Shell either remediate the environment, provide compensation for the damage caused, or vacate the land entirely, allowing the community to reclaim its health and livelihoods.