Following the rejection of the results of a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) conducted on a crude oil spill on Oando Plc’s six-inch Azuzuama-Tebidaba flowline by the community members, there have been tensions in the Azuzuama community of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The crude oil spill, which happened on June 25, 2026, is yet to be sorted out since the community members refused to accept the results of the JIV, where the findings were that the spill was caused by sabotage.
The JIV was supposed to find out the cause of the spill, quantify the amount of crude released into the environment, and evaluate the impact.
According to the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment, the evidence found on the affected pipeline, with signs of burnt protective coating, implied that acidic substances were applied on the pipeline, which caused induced corrosion.
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However, the Azuzuama community leaders argue that the oil spill was caused by old pipelines and poor maintenance of the pipeline system, as they claim that there was visible corrosion of the pipeline, and they also alleged that the test equipment during the investigation was faulty.
Moreover, there is another pipeline spill under the river platform with bubbles of gas escaping.
The environmental organization ECARD has asked Oando to urgently control the oil spill and restore the affected area by repairing the leak beneath the water to stop further pollution.
This conflict is an indication that the issues related to investigating oil spills in the Niger Delta have remained a problem due to differences over sabotage or faulty machinery causing delays in the cleaning process.
