Chief Mulade Sheriff, an environmental rights and peace advocate, has asked the Federal Government, the Delta State Government and other relevant regulatory agencies to declare an environmental emergency in Warri South-West and Burutu Local Government Areas of Delta State, following a major oil spill affecting several communities in that axis.
He disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, describing the incident as an environmental disaster capable of causing long-term ecological damage if urgent intervention is not undertaken.
Mulade noted that the spill is allegedly linked to facilities operated by Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited across Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 4, 26, 34, 38, 41 and 42, with crude oil transported through the Trans Forcados Pipeline (TFP).
The statement reads, “It’s imperative to state that the live span of (TFP) 18″ crude delivery pipeline was constructed in the early 1980’s, which has expired long ago, but the Federal Government and the multinational oil companies are only interested in the crude oil and continue to pay lip service to the challenges confronting the people in the region.”
He warned that rivers, creeks, mangrove forests, and farmlands, which serve as the economic lifeline of host communities, have reportedly been contaminated, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of residents who depend on fishing and farming.
“This is not merely another oil spill; it’s an assault on the environment, on public health, and on the survival of communities whose lives depend entirely on the natural ecosystem. Every hour of delay compounds the damage and deepens the suffering of innocent people,” he said.
He complained that the livelihood of the people in the areas have been adversely affected, stressing that fishermen have abandoned their traditional fishing grounds due to polluted waters, while farmers are witnessing the destruction of their farmlands.
He accused oil operators of failing to adequately safeguard the fragile ecosystem of the Niger Delta, insisting that repeated oil spill incidents have continued to undermine decades of environmental conservation efforts and worsen poverty in oil-producing communities.
He called on Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited to urgently contain the spill, deploy emergency response teams, commence comprehensive remediation and environmental restoration in line with international best practices, and engage affected communities transparently.
The environmentalist demanded an independent Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) involving regulatory agencies, host communities, environmental experts, and civil society organizations to establish the cause, extent, and impact of the spill.
