SPECIAL REPORT: Abandoned Oil Wells in Ogoniland Cause Spills Amidst Plans for Production Resumption

Residents of the Kpean community in Rivers State's Khana Local Government Area experienced a strong hydrocarbon odour on August 3, 2025, indicating a fresh oil spill. The incident originated from Well 14 in the Yorla Oil Field, part of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11, an abandoned facility drilled around 1967. Crude oil began leaking from its corroded wellhead, polluting local land and water bodies, damaging vegetation, and disrupting the environment.

The community promptly notified the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA). However, official intervention was delayed, with the spill reportedly being stopped three days later, on August 6, 2025. A Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) conducted by NOSDRA and other stakeholders on August 8, 2025, estimated that approximately 28 barrels of crude oil were spilled, with half of that amount recovered. The JIV report cited corrosion as the cause and noted vegetation impact. NOSDRA recommended immediate repair of the wellhead and cleanup under its supervision.

Despite these recommendations, community members reported that the leak continued unabated. On August 15, 2025, twelve days after the initial spill, the site caught fire, exacerbating fears about safety and the effectiveness of the response. This was followed by another spill on December 4, 2025. Cleanup had not commenced seven weeks later, as of January 26, 2026.

Community members described the severe impact on their lives. SorlebaBari Appolos stated that farming and fishing are now impossible, and the local stream, once a source of drinking water, is contaminated. He also voiced concerns about a rise in unexplained illnesses and deaths within the community, linking them to the long-term pollution.

The Paramount Ruler of Kpean, Lucky Gbene-Ewoh, expressed dismay at the lack of action, noting that despite numerous petitions, only promises have been made, while deaths and environmental damage continue.

The Kpean spill is not an isolated incident in Ogoniland. In May 2025, an oil spill occurred in B-Dere, Gokana Local Government Area, from the Bodo-West 1 oil well, though no documentation was found on NOSDRA's portal. Reports from civil society groups indicated a rupture in the Trans Niger Pipeline. Throughout 2025, other spills were reported in Korokoro (Tai LGA) and Ogale (Eleme LGA), all occurring as the federal government renewed discussions about resuming oil operations in the region.

Oil production in Ogoniland started in the 1960s, leading to extensive environmental damage. Production was halted in 1993 due to community resistance, notably from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), culminating in the execution of activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and others in 1995. The infrastructure was largely left abandoned, posing ongoing pollution risks.

Contemporary plans to resume oil drilling face strong opposition from communities and organizations like the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), which advocates for restoration over extraction. They argue that the government's inability to manage existing pollution makes managing new extraction irresponsible.

The NOSDRA Act of 2006 mandates responsibilities for oil spill response and cleanup. However, the agency's Zonal Director stated they were acting responsibly but declined further comment on the lack of cleanup. As of late January, cleanup in Kpean had not begun.

NNPC's chief corporate communications officer, Andy Odeh, claimed on February 3, 2026, that remediation and recovery were ongoing, citing a recent field visit by government officials. He suggested that visible cleanup might not be immediate but insisted that structured remediation was underway under regulatory supervision. However, NNPC attributed the Yorla-14 spill to vandalism, contradicting NOSDRA's JIV report which identified corrosion.

Regarding legacy infrastructure, the NNPC stated that the Petroleum Industry Act and 2023 regulations provide for decommissioning. The corporation mentioned a physical asset verification exercise to identify and secure dormant facilities, with plans to decommission unsafe ones.

Civil society groups, including HOMEF and the Miideekor Environmental Development Initiative, are demanding transparent investigations, immediate cleanup, compensation, decommissioning of old facilities, and community-led monitoring. They argue that resuming oil drilling in Ogoniland under current pollution conditions is a misplaced priority.