By Awyetu Asabe Hope
Residents of oil- and gas-producing communities in the Niger Delta have raised concerns over alleged unusual deaths, health problems and environmental degradation linked to persistent oil spills and gas leaks.
The residents, from Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Akwa Ibom states, voiced their concerns on Tuesday, at the second People’s Environmental Assembly, also known as Eco-Festival, in Port Harcourt.
The event, organised by environmental rights group We the People, was themed “A Celebration of Culture, Resilience and Resistance.”
Participants alleged that years of oil pollution had damaged farmlands and waterways, disrupted fishing and farming activities, and reduced access to safe water and other natural resources.
Speaking at the event, Precious Ibegwura of Erema Community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State said pollution had exposed residents to serious health and environmental challenges.
“Our community today is nothing to write home about. Erema is now a community of tears. The oil companies have destroyed our land,” he said, calling for justice and compensation.
Similarly, Mitema Suoye George of Otuabagi Community in Bayelsa State said pollution had affected fishing activities and raised concerns about residents’ health.
She alleged that some women aged 35 and above had stopped menstruating and cited a study by the KATBETKACHE Women Development Centre that reportedly identified cancer cases in the community.
Warda Nebani Beryamon, a former youth leader in Ikarama Community, Bayelsa State, also described oil pollution in the area as severe, alleging that residents had experienced numerous oil spills and health challenges, including cancer.
Meanwhile, the Executive Vice President of the Bille Kingdom Youth Federation in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, Pastor Timothy Agumbiade, raised concerns over gas emissions, reported deaths and inadequate responses to complaints from residents.
Agumbiade said government agencies had visited the community and collected environmental samples following reports of gas leaks from its waterways since October 2025. However, he lamented that the visits had yet to produce tangible results.
He also alleged that Bille Kingdom recorded seven deaths in September and four in October, with most of the deceased reportedly below 60 years of age. He called for urgent intervention to protect residents.
The convener of We the People, Ken Henshaw, called for a comprehensive environmental audit of the Niger Delta to establish the extent of pollution, identify those responsible and determine the measures required for remediation.
He said the Eco-Festival was aimed at promoting public engagement, accountability and collective action to address the environmental consequences of more than seven decades of oil exploration and production in the region.
Henshaw urged oil companies operating in the Niger Delta to answer questions about their roles in the pollution crisis, stressing the need for justice for affected communities and environmental restoration.
