By Chancel Bomadi Sunday

BURUTU — Environmental rights activist and peace advocate, Comrade (Dr.) Sheriff Mulade, has called on the Federal Government to declare an environmental emergency following a reported oil spill affecting several riverine communities in Warri South-West and Burutu Local Government Areas of Delta State.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Mulade described the reported incident as a major environmental challenge with the potential for long-term ecological and socio-economic consequences if not promptly addressed.

He alleged that the spill was linked to facilities operated by Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited across Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 4, 26, 34, 38, 41 and 42, with crude transported through the Trans-Forcados Pipeline.

Mulade expressed concern over the condition of the pipeline and cited previous reports by environmental organisations on the impact of oil spills in the Niger Delta.

According to him, rivers, creeks, mangrove forests and farmlands in the affected areas have reportedly been contaminated, threatening the livelihoods of residents who depend on fishing and farming.

He urged the Federal and Delta State governments, as well as relevant regulatory agencies, to provide humanitarian assistance, medical support and environmental remediation for affected communities.

The activist also called on Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited to contain the reported spill, deploy emergency response measures and undertake environmental restoration in line with applicable standards.

He further requested an independent Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) involving regulatory agencies, host communities, environmental experts and civil society organisations to determine the cause, extent and impact of the reported incident.

Mulade also urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Federal Ministry of Environment to investigate the matter and ensure compliance with environmental regulations.

The communities mentioned as being affected include Odidi, Kusimi, Batan, Izansa, Ajuju, Egwa, Tekedor-Kusimi, Oweizibiri-Ebisoko, Edagbene, Ogeh-Appallagbene and Iniebogbene, among others.

As of the time of filing this report, Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited, NOSDRA and the NUPRC had not publicly responded to the allegations or confirmed the reported oil spill