By ,Ogheneruona Tejiri, Warri
Kusimi Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State has issued a one-week ultimatum to the operators of OML 30 and OML 42 over a prolonged crude oil spill allegedly linked to the 18-inch Trans Forcados Pipeline.
The community specifically called on Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL), operator of OML 30, and NNPC E&P Limited, operator of OML 42 in joint venture with Neconde Energy Limited, to immediately shut down operations, contain the spill and commence environmental cleanup and remediation.
The demand was contained in a press statement signed by community leader, Mr. Newman Kusimi.
The communiy said that the crude oil spill has persisted since February 2026, yet nearly five months after, there has been no meaningful efforts by the operators or relevant regulatory agencies to stop the leakage, remediate the polluted environment or provide relief materials to affected residents.
The community expressed concern over what it described as the continued silence and inaction of the companies and regulatory authorities, warning that the situation now poses a serious environmental and public safety threat.
The communiy said that the one-week ultimatum was issued to avert a possible fire disaster, noting that crude oil still floating on the waterways could ignite at any time, endangering lives, homes, oil facilities and other property.
According to the Community, “the ultimatum is in the interest of public safety. The continuous presence of crude oil on our waterways poses a serious danger and could result in a catastrophic fire incident if urgent action is not taken”.
The leadership of the community lamented that the spill has crippled the local economy, particularly fishing, which remains the primary source of livelihood for many residents.
The community said that fishermen and women have been unable to carry out their daily activities because rivers and creeks have been heavily polluted.
The community also demanded the immediate conduct of a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to determine the actual cause and extent of the spill and assess the environmental and socio-economic damage suffered by the affected communities.
It further appealed to the operators and relevant authorities to urgently provide relief materials, potable drinking water, medical outreach services and other humanitarian assistance to residents who have continued to endure severe hardship as a result of contaminated water sources.
They highlighted worsening health concerns, environmental degradation and the destruction of aquatic life, stressing that rivers and creeks, which serve as the communities’ primary sources of drinking water, cooking, bathing and other domestic activities, have become unsafe for use.
The communiy added, “since the spill of February 2026, our people have lived in unbearable hardship. Our environment has been polluted, our means of livelihood destroyed and our health placed at serious risk”.
The leadership alleged that despite the suffering of the affected communities, no significant relief or remediation efforts have been undertaken by the operators.
It therefore appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and other relevant agencies to intervene urgently and compel the operators to halt operations, contain the spill, commence immediate environmental remediation and engage meaningfully with the affected host communities.
The community warned that failure to address its demands within the stipulated one-week period could result in peaceful protests and other lawful actions aimed at drawing national attention to the environmental crisis.
