Oil Pollution: Thousands of Fishermen, families stranded as fresh oil spill hits Egbemo-Angalabiri community in Bayelsa
by Passman Akpos
A fresh oil spill has reportedly rocked Egbemo-Angalabiri community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The spill has said to be noticed for over a week now.
Mr. Preye Simon, Chairman of Egbemo-Angalabiri community, who confirmed this to Newsmen on Monday morning, said the spill occurred on Saturday, June 13, 2021 at Opukushi Well 24, a facility owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
According to him, thousands of fishermen in Egbemo-Angalabiri communities and their families have been stranded as a result of the spill. Some people have been falling sick due to pollution on the bodies of rivers, which are the main sources of water supply to the people.
He called on Shell, regulatory bodies and the Bayelsa State Government to quickly deploy safety measures to mitigate the effects, claiming that the spill had already caused damage to their environment and fishing activities.
Though the main causes of the oil spill could not be immediately ascertained at the time of filing this report.
