Aiteo oil spill in Nembe triggers outrage as locals seek justice, clean-up, and compensation over repeated environmental damage

The Nembe oil spill has once again devastated the Opu Nembe Kingdom in Bayelsa State, sparking renewed outrage and deepening the environmental and economic struggles of local residents.

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The latest incident, involving an 8-inch delivery pipeline operated by Nembe Eastern Exploration and Production Company Ltd (formerly Aiteo), occurred on October 1, 2025, near the Santa Barbara well in OML 29.

This fresh spill has triggered panic among communities still grappling with the aftermath of a similar disaster in 2021, which lasted over a month before containment.

The community’s legal representatives, Iniruo Wills and Dr. Dickson Omukoro of Ntephe Smith and Wills, condemned the company for “poor crisis management” and a “disregard for its host community” in a letter to the firm’s Health, Safety, and Environment Manager, Augustine Amaka Bisong.

They criticised the delayed notification, as Aiteo informed the community only on October 5—four days after the spill—requesting a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) scheduled for October 6.

This date was rejected by the Opu Nembe leadership, citing insufficient notice for adequate representation and the need to avoid manipulation of the JIV process, a recurring problem in past investigations.

Residents have demanded a comprehensive probe into the spill’s environmental and health impact and immediate remediation to protect their livelihoods, which are heavily reliant on fishing and farming.

They have also called for high-level dialogue involving the company, the community, and regulators to develop a permanent solution to the persistent pollution issues.

Nembe Eastern Exploration and Production Company Ltd, which took over Shell’s OML 29 in 2015, has faced repeated controversies over oil spills in the Nembe area for over a decade.

The affected settlements remain impoverished due to pollution and lost income from artisanal fishing.

Meanwhile, the Opu Nembe Kingdom continues its legal battle against the oil firm at the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, seeking compensation and environmental justice for three major spills between 2019 and 2020.

Their legal team has expressed frustration over delays caused by the company’s lawyers, warning that prolonged adjournments undermine justice.

Environmental advocates have renewed calls for specialised environmental courts in the Niger Delta to expedite oil pollution cases, citing chronic delays in the existing judicial system.

Bayelsa State, which accounts for roughly a quarter of Niger Delta oil spills, currently has only one Federal High Court division handling petroleum disputes, a bottleneck that exacerbates delays.

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As Nembe communities prepare for the challenges ahead, the latest oil spill adds to a cycle of neglect, pollution, and injustice that continues to scar their waterways and livelihoods.