Emmanuel Masha 
A fresh oil spill has occurred in Ikata community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, sparking concern among residents and environmental advocacy groups.
The spill, which reportedly happened in the early hours of Monday, emanated from a 14-inch pipeline along the Okordia–Rumuekpe right of way, now operated by Renaissance Africa Energy Company Ltd (RAEC), which recently acquired the assets from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Port Harcourt and signed by its Executive Director, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface.
According to Fyneface, members of the group’s One Million Youth Volunteers Network and its Crude Oil Spill Alert System (COSAS) in the area reported that the pipeline had likely been vandalized by suspected oil thieves.
RAEC had taken over the SPDC-operated assets in a $2.4 billion deal that marked Shell’s exit from the region’s onshore operations.
Describing the incident as “seriously spewing crude oil into the environment and destroying the ecosystem,” Fyneface said volunteers who visited the scene observed signs of excavation around the pipeline, suggesting third-party interference.
He further noted that video and photographic evidence obtained by the centre showed crude oil gushing from the compromised pipeline and spreading rapidly across the area.
YEAC-Nigeria has called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to immediately conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to ascertain the root cause of the spill.
It also urged authorities to invoke relevant provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to prosecute those responsible for the environmental damage.
