Several residents have been displaced from their homes due to the rupture of the Trans Niger Delta pipeline in the B-Dere community of Gokana Local Government Area in Ogoni, River State.
This incident resulted in oil spill across sections of the community for an extended period exceeding one week.
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During a site visit to the affected community on Thursday, PREMIUM TIMES was informed that the leakage had been ongoing since May 6, leading to spillage of crude oil from the pipeline into residential areas and farms.
Upon arrival at the oil spill site Thursday afternoon, the newspaper observed that community members were scooping crude oil with gallons and buckets.
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“This leakage has persisted for over a week, beginning on May 6. The entire area is permeated with the odour of crude oil, making it difficult for us to breathe. Cooking has become hazardous due to the risk of explosion, forcing many residents to relocate,” a community member told PREMIUM TIMES.
Residents reported that officials from Shell visited the site to investigate the cause and put in measures to halt the flow.
On Thursday, some officials said to be Shell employees began to extract the crude oil into tankers amid tight security.
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Heavily armed soldiers were stationed at strategic locations within the community to guard the officials while preventing community members from scooping crude.
At different locations in the community, there were gallons of crude oil taken from the leaking pipeline. The surrounding atmosphere reeked of the smell of hydrocarbons, with attendant effect on the greenery of the environment.
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