Oil installations in a section of Rivers State are exploding in fire one after the other. The Cawthorne Channel is next and is right now on fire.
The threats began few weeks ago after the Ogonis were privileged to a meeting in Aso Rock to discuss more goodies to them to allow oil business resume in the OML 11 areas.
This was followed up by the signing into existence of a federal university (of environmental technology) to be sited in Ogoni land.
The first reaction was a demand by governors of the Niger Delta or oil region that a cleanup scheme of about $12bn be launched in all of the Niger Delta.
Next were rumours couched in jokes that Kalabari land should be the next to strike. This was clearly understood but not taken seriously.
Before stakeholders could interpret the signs, two boat attacks took place along Bonny waters, a route seen as the most viable and one sensitive to operations in the region.
Then, the Bukuma oil fire exploded to shake the industry. Early inspectors to the site tried to know how far the pipeline protection contractors did to prevent such fire. Details were said not be palatable. The government agencies mandated to detect oil spill have yet to release full report but preliminary tips indicate that third party factors could not be ruled out.
Read also: NDDC joins Ogoni cleanup effort, eyes remediation and mangrove restoration tasks with HYPREP
Few weeks after, the sensitive Cawthorne Channel has exploded. Each explosion throws everyone off and spills huge volumes into the waters.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has confirmed the latest incident but said no life was lost.
Confirming the incident also, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) said it is aware of the explosion and crude oil spillage into the water bodies in the Bonny local government area axis of Rivers State on Wednesday, February 19, 2025.
YEAC-Nigeria said it didn’t report the incident as soon as it occurred and as soon as the information was received at the centre on February 19 because the information was still very sketchy as the name of the company that has the barge or vessel that allegedly exploded was not known because many oil companies operate there.
Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, the Executive Director, in a statement confirmed the incident as reported by its volunteers under the auspices of the ‘One Million Youth Volunteers Network of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters in the Niger Delta’ in Bonny local government. He has called on the authorities especially the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to detect the barrels of crude oil that have been spilled into the ecosystem as a result of the explosion and hold the company responsible to account.
Sources close to the creeks say in some instances, gangs loyal to one ‘strong man’ or the other would obstruct boys from other gangs from gaining access to the scene.
Sources said the fact that only a man from Delta State was given most of the areas to protect has provoked rivalry. Often, boys from one group would not be allowed to access other areas.
According to sources, it may all be about the fight for pipeline protection fight where lords want the presidency to realise that without them, the target of boosting oil levels would hardly be met.
It was gathered that the easiest way to cause maximum damage and attract attention could be by fire.
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