ELEM KALABARI COMMUNITY STUNNED BY FRESH OIL SPILL FROM AGING INFRASTRUCTURE, REIGNITING ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC FEARS +(VIDEO)

The people of Elem Kalabari, in Degema local government area of Rivers state, awoke last Thursday to a troubling sight: a fresh oil spill spreading across sections of their rivers. For a community already burdened by environmental and economic hardship, the discovery reopened wounds that have yet to heal.

By Sunday morning, a delegation of community members — including women leaders and chiefs — set out in speedboats to trace the source of the spill. The fact-finding visit was led by the Chairman of the Elem Kalabari Council of Chiefs, Alabo Eng. Evans Okiye. What they discovered deepened their concern: crude oil was leaking from aging, decades-old pipe heads that appear to require urgent maintenance or outright replacement.

According to community leaders, the leak did not show signs consistent with recent vandalism. Since the ascension of the Amanyanabo of Elem Kalabari, Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo (Da Amakiri Tubo, Dabaye Amakiri I), illegal oil bunkering activities within the axis have been driven out through stricter local enforcement and traditional authority oversight. Residents argue that tampering with pipelines in the area has become extremely difficult under the current security climate. A resident revealed, “Amama Solders patrol the creeks and waterways of Elem Kalabari round the clock so they notice any illegal activity”.

The spill comes on the heels of the widely reported protest by the Women of Elem Kalabari on February 2nd, 2025 for several days, their demands included environmental remediation, stricter oversight, and genuine engagement with host communities. At the heart of that protest was a core grievance: that while oil flows steadily from their land and waterways, the community bears disproportionate environmental risk without adequate protection or benefit. This latest spill reinforces the women’s earlier warning — that neglect of infrastructure and regulatory oversight will continue to produce crises if not addressed systematically.

For fishing communities, even a single spill can devastate livelihoods. Oil slicks contaminate nets, poison fish habitats, and reduce catch volumes. Women traders, who depend heavily on daily fish supplies for market activity, are often the first to feel the economic impact. Beyond income loss lies the longer-term environmental cost. Repeated exposure to hydrocarbons degrades mangroves, accelerates shoreline erosion, and compromises water quality. The cumulative effect is slow ecological decline that may take years — even decades — to reverse.

Community members say they feel further devastated by what they describe as negligence on the part of operators and the Nigerian state. They argue that maintenance of aging infrastructure should be routine, not reactive. Preventive oversight, they insist, is cheaper than cleanup and less destructive than crisis management. For residents of Elem Kalabari, the frustration is layered: Oil wealth leaves daily through their waterways, environmental risk remains behind, infrastructure decays without timely replacement, and regulatory intervention appears slow or distant. The perception of abandonment deepens each time a spill occurs.

Community leaders are calling for immediate containment and cleanup of the spill, an independent investigation into the integrity of the affected pipe heads, a comprehensive inspection of other aging infrastructure within the axis, and transparent reporting of findings to the community.

The latest incident underscores a recurring theme in the Niger Delta: natural resource extraction without sustained investment in environmental protection breeds instability. Elem Kalabari’s people insist they are not opposed to oil production. What they demand is responsible production — one that safeguards their rivers, respects their livelihoods, and acknowledges that development cannot come at the permanent expense of host communities.

Said Mrs George, a Resident, “The resources on our land has become a curse. This is unfair”.

As investigations unfold, one thing is clear: the events of last Thursday are not isolated. They sit within a broader narrative of protest, reform, and renewed cultural assertion. Whether this spill becomes another unresolved chapter — or a turning point toward accountability — now depends on how swiftly and transparently stakeholders respond.

“Our people are patient and long suffering. Our resolve is being tested”, an Elem Kalabari resident said. Enough said.