Date of current incident: 2nd July 2023 [Sunday]. Date of field visit by ERA/FoEN: 12/07/2023 [Wednesday].
INTRODUCTION:
At exactly 12:22 pm on 5th July 2023 [ the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria [ERA/FoEN] received an SMS from a volunteer about ‘’ A very serious oil spill at an Agip pipeline at Egenkiri near Fantuo. I have asked the Fantuo CDC Chairman to send you the video of what is happening there’’. And on the same date and day [Wednesday], ERA/FoEN received the video clips and photos with GPS Coordinates from the CDC Chairman of the Fantuo community. The date and day on those photos indicate ‘’Monday, July 2023. This means they were taken a day after the spill, at about 02:02 pm, 02:09 pm, and 02:05 pm; local time.
On the 7th day after receiving the above information, ERA/FoEN [accompanied by the CDC Chairman of Fantuo community, led a team of journalists to the site of interest, Egenkiri 3 and 4 fishing camps environment where Agip’s Riser 15a is situated in the middle of a creek which appears to be the company’s Right Of Way [ROW], in Fantuo territory. Egenkiri 3 and 4 are two fishing settlements situated within the same environment, only separated by the Creek in which the oil facility is in the middle. These two fishing camps have about 30 huts with an estimated population of [men, women, and children]150 persons. Fisher folks in the camps are not only from the Nembe [Ijaw] ethnic group, but other Ijaws from the Southern Ijaw local government area, Ogoni in Rivers State, and some from Akwa Ibom State. Fantuo community is administratively in Nembe local government area of Bayelsa State. Before ERA/FoEN visited the site, some photos and videos relating to the oil spill incident were received via WhatsApp, showing crude oil leaking and spreading on the creek from the Riser 15a of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company; exposed and raised section of the Ogoda/Brass pipeline. The term ‘’Riser’’ may have been used because the section of the pipeline is raised above the water before descending into the water again.
Documented research efforts as captured in the ‘’Journal of Great Lakes Research’’ of 2014 [www.sciencedirect.com], indicate that Crude oil spilled in aquatic environments poses a significant threat to aquatic life, as toxic effects cascade across trophic levels, affecting phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish, aquatic birds, mammals, and benthic organisms. Crude oil is comprised of a complex mixture of petroleum hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon compounds. Mixtures vary among different crude oil, resulting in multiple physical and chemical properties. Monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [e.g., benzenes, toluene, and xylenes] and phenols comprise the most acutely toxic components of fresh crude oil, but their high volatility limits their toxic effects on aquatic organisms. Ecologically, crude oil can alter the structure and function of both freshwater and marine food webs [e.g.; through mortality, retarded succession, and retrogression].

TESTIMONIES:
Godman Inimi, Youth President of the fishing settlement said ‘’ We have really suffered as a result of this oil spillage here. The [crude] oil has polluted the rivers and made fishing less productive. Due to the prevailing situation, we hardly make ends meet and hence Agip should come to our aid by giving us relief materials and compensate us [for losses]. We can’t even sleep well at night when the wind brings the pungent smell of crude oil. It is very disturbing, health-wise’’.
Barida Nimbofa [an Ogoni lady], responding to questions on the incident said ‘’ I am staying here at the Pipeline 3 fishing camp. This crude oil spill and its odour are worrying us. The spill has destroyed our fishing materials; our nets. We see dead fish floating as a result of the crude oil and, this has chased away fish from the environment. Our fishing activities are now very unproductive. So it is difficult to survive, the government should come and assist us. The crude oil has also affected our source of drinking water and bathing. Our children are also having health challenges as a result of this crude oil spill. Government should come and take care of our health, by bringing medicine for us’’.
Giving a brief history of the spill incidents from the facility, Micah Wakama Oruwori, the CDC Chairman of the Fantuo community had this to say, ‘’This oil spill from Agip’s Riser 15a first occurred in June 2019. After that spill, they [Agip] built this cofferdam in 2019. The spill has since then become a regular occurrence, happening every four or six months and attracting the company for maintenance work. This recent one just occurred on the 2nd of July, 2023. And they brought this boom on 8th July 2023 [six days after]’’
When asked what he wants Agip to do on the matter, the CDC Chairman said ‘’ Agip should first of all bring relief materials to victims and pay compensation to the community [Fantuo] and all satellite communities [fishing camps] within one week’’.
Also responding to the question as to how Agip reacted to the previous incidents, the CDC Chairman said ‘’ Anytime it occurs, they give us relief materials [cash of N1.2m to each of the affected settlements] and they normally come for maintenance. But it doesn’t last up to six months before another oil spill occurs. After the maintenance, it would still occur because the pipeline is overdue for replacement. Agip built this first cofferdam in 2019 and, because it wasn’t effective a second one was built around the first one in March, this year [2023]. They laid this 21-inch pipe over 50 years ago; since 1971. Agip said this is a national trunk line and it is when they get approval from the Federal Government that they can effect the replacement of the pipe. That was what they told us. It is the main delivery Trunk Line to Brass Terminal.
During this site visit, ERA/FoEN saw that a boom has been used to encircle the cofferdam. However, the cofferdams were built only around the descending section of the RISER 15a, the leaking part; even though the boom covered the entire facility; including the rising part on the water. But residents informed ERA/FoEN that the booming wasn’t effective as crude oil still flows out. According to one of those residing at the Egenkiri 3 [or Pipeline 3 fishing camp], Jonathan Michael, who is from the Ekeni community in Southern Ijaw local government of Bayelsa State ‘’ Even yesterday the crude oil came out from the boomed area. When the current of the water becomes high and strong, it renders the boom ineffective. Also, the boom sometimes gets stuck on the metal and crude oil would flow out freely. I was the one who went and release the boom from where it got stuck yesterday. Ordinarily, Agip ought to hire someone to take care of such emergencies. But they don’t care’’.
In responding to ERA/FoEN’s question, Madam Numoipre Dick who has been at the fishing camp for over twenty years said ‘’ I have been residing in this fishing camp for over twenty years. To be honest, we were catching crayfish, setting our hooks/nets, and catching fish to sell and feed ourselves. We were not suffering hunger. But since we started experiencing this crude oil spill in the environment things have changed negatively. Hunger is our lot now’’.
OBSERVATION/CONCLUSION:

Practical experience in the field has shown that crude oil is toxic and inimical to the environment. This is true, whether spills are sprayed in gaseous form into the air or liquid form on land and marine ecosystem. A heavy presence of crude oil in water denies aquatic life of oxygen and also through chemical reactions negatively affect marine organisms. This is very significant.
The Riser 15a is actually a section of the 21’’ Trunk line of Ogoda/Brass which is being raised after crossing the big river at riverbed level. ERA/FoEN gathered that some smaller crude oil-bearing pipelines were connected to a particular location where they emptied their content into this major trunk line which delivers directly to Brass terminal. That the industry regulators allowed Agip to manage this leakage and causing crude oil to spread outside the cofferdam since 2019 leaves much to be desired. More worrisome is the information given in confidence to ERA/FoEN, that instead of emptying whatever was found within the cofferdam during maintenance [by evacuation and safely disposed at approved designated Agip facility]; Agip often resorts to pumping and emptying such content laden with crude oil into the marine environment, doing so after offering little cash to some local stakeholders. Video evidence of this unacceptable act is at the disposal of ERA/FoEN.
The non-replacement of the section of the Riser 15a that has continued to leak and spill crude oil from 2019 till July 2023 and the emptying quantities of crude oil within the cofferdam into the marine ecosystem speaks volumes; of a negative environmental practice by Agip. This is deliberate and environmentally criminal; considering the negative implications to marine life and the food chain in terms of livelihood and human health. Benzene, the carcinogenic element that is part of crude oil, with toluene and xylene is among the well-known water-soluble environmental pollutants that are most volatile. Such negative environmental practices [including exposure of crude oil for people to inhale in the environment continually] cannot be disassociated from factors responsible for the declining life expectancy in the Niger Delta. According to the CDC chairman, crude oil has spilled six times from this facility since the first one in 2019 [a space of four years].
The signs observed on the cofferdam indicate the level to which the water and crude oil often rose at high tide; which is possible to allow crude oil to escape into the environment. During the ERA/FoEN-led visit to the site, crude oil was still spewing from the lower section of the Riser 15a descending, in the direction of Brass. A dead fish was also seen in the crude oil-laden space between the cofferdam built in 2019 and the one built in March this year [2023]. There was [sighted] a heavy volume of crude oil within the 2019 cofferdam, 2023 cofferdam, and the space between the cofferdams and boom. The boom covered [encircled] both cofferdams and was seen assuming different shapes as it was tossed by the water current. It is important to note at this point that, photos with GPS coordinates received by ERA/FoEN on 5th July [from the CDC Chairman of Fantuo] had no signs of boom around the Riser 15a. The heavy volume of crude oil seen within the boomed space at the time of ERA/FoEN’s visit confirms that crude oil has been flowing away from the cofferdam which necessitated the booming. Without that booming, it means this volume seen by ERA/FoEN would have spread in the marine environment. Also sighted [on land] at the Egenkiri waterfront were four giant GP tanks, most likely for recovery purposes.
ERA/FoEN DEMAND:
[1] The Nigerian Agip Oil Company [NAOC] should take immediate steps to carry out effective repairs of the leaking section of the Riser 15a of the company’s 21’’ Ogoda/ Brass Pipeline in view of the continuing spill and threat to the marine ecosystem, livelihood and health of our fisher folks.
[2] The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency [NOSDRA] should prevail on NAOC to do the right thing; to ensure effective repair or sectional replacement of the Riser 15a.
[3] The Bayelsa State Government, through the State Ministry of Environment, should consider this as a matter of utmost importance and take all necessary steps/actions to ensure NAOC stops the environmental terrorism practiced in Bayelsa State as this cannot be acceptable in Italy.
[4] Stakeholders, including the media, environmental groups, and legal practitioners should step in and take action in defense of the environment, livelihood, and health of our people.