Fresh Oil Spill Reported Along Bodo Creek, Residents Demand Immediate Cleanup

A fresh crude oil spill has been reported along Bodo Creek in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, with community leaders saying the sheen has already spread across several kilometres of waterway used by local fishermen.

Residents first noticed the slick on Sunday evening and reported it to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), which says a joint investigation visit with the operator is being arranged. The exact cause — whether equipment failure, corrosion or third-party interference — has not yet been determined.

"We just finished replanting mangroves from the last cleanup, and now this," said a local fisherman who has worked the creek for over two decades. "Every time there's a spill, it's our nets, our fish ponds, our children's future that pays."

The area was the subject of a widely publicised cleanup exercise years ago following an out-of-court settlement over historic spills, and Ogoniland remains a focal point of remediation efforts under the broader UNEP-recommended cleanup programme. Environmental monitors say repeated fresh spills undermine confidence in that programme and complicate long-term restoration.

Community leaders are demanding an emergency joint investigation visit within 48 hours and compensation for economic losses in the interim, warning that further delay will force them to escalate the matter with state and federal environment ministries.