By Residents of Ogale Community in Eleme Local Government Area, Rivers State, have taken to the streets in protest over a fresh oil spill at a Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) manifold.
The spill, which occurred two weeks ago, was acknowledged by Shell, stating it happened while personnel were flushing oil from its server pit at the manifold. However, the community insists the company must take full responsibility for the environmental damage.
Dressed in black, protesters carried placards with messages like “Shell has poisoned our groundwater,” “Declare a state of emergency on Ogale’s environment,” and “Justice for Ogale – End oil spills.”
Women, visibly distraught, sat on the bare ground in tears as they voiced their frustrations over the recurring pollution that has plagued the community.
Residents say oil spills have severely contaminated their water sources, leading to health issues and destruction of livelihoods, particularly for farmers and fishermen.
The community has vowed to continue protests until Shell commits to a full cleanup and adequate compensation for the damages suffered.
