A crude oil spill has polluted the shoreline and surrounding waters of Egweama community in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, disrupting fishing activities, damaging fishing nets and threatening the livelihoods of residents dependent on the aquatic environment.
The spill, which reportedly occurred on Sunday, November 1, 2026, has triggered alarm among residents, with fishermen unable to access their usual fishing grounds and community members demanding urgent intervention to contain the pollution.
The source of the spill remains unconfirmed. However, some residents have alleged that vessels transporting crude oil from Nembe Creek towards the Atlantic Ocean may have discharged the substance into the surrounding waters. Aiteo has also been mentioned in community allegations, but no responsibility has been independently established.
The Environmental Conservation Agriculture and Rural Development (ECARD) disclosed the incident following a field investigation led by environmental activist, Alagoa Morris. The organisation said the spill was confirmed by the Chairman of the Egweama Community Development Committee (CDC), Tonye Yemoleigha, and other residents.
An affected resident, Ebimiete David, said crude oil began washing ashore between 5pm and 6pm on Sunday, with the volume increasing around 8pm as the high tide pushed more oil towards the shoreline.
According to her, residents spent much of the night scooping crude oil into containers until about 3am on Monday, when the tide receded and carried much of the substance back into the sea.
The pollution has also disrupted fishing operations. Chief Souyo Amasara Alagoa-Inengite II, a fishing camp settler, said fishermen who attempted to deploy their nets between 7pm and 8pm on Sunday encountered water surfaces covered with crude oil.
He said the contamination had prevented fishermen from going to sea, while some fishing nets had been damaged, leaving affected residents without access to their principal source of income.
During its field investigation, ECARD reportedly observed jerrycans, drums and plastic containers containing recovered crude oil along the shoreline. Some young residents were also seen transferring collected oil into containers on Monday morning.
The incident has heightened fears of worsening economic hardship for fishing households and possible environmental consequences if the pollution is not promptly contained and investigated.
In a statement titled “Oil Spill: Egweama Community Cries Out for Immediate Help, Cleanup,” CDC Chairman Yemoleigha appealed to the Bayelsa State Government to intervene and ensure that the company or organisation found responsible is compelled to undertake a comprehensive cleanup and remediation of the affected environment.
He also called for medical assistance and relief materials for affected residents, stressing the community’s dependence on fishing and the surrounding waters for survival.
ECARD has urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and relevant state authorities to investigate the incident, establish the source of the crude and ensure that appropriate remediation measures are implemented.
The organisation warned that offshore spills present particular challenges in determining responsibility, especially where crude samples are not scientifically analysed and matched to their source.
It cited previous incidents reported in Foropa Community in Southern Ijaw in January 2024 and an offshore spill around Sangana in Brass and Koluama in Southern Ijaw in 2021, where Conoil was allegedly implicated. ECARD said NOSDRA collected samples from affected locations but that the results were not made public.
The organisation called for scientific fingerprint analysis of crude samples to establish the source of the Egweama spill and identify any operator found responsible. It also advocated stronger environmental surveillance, adequately equipped laboratories and closer collaboration among regulatory agencies, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Navy.
For Egweama residents, the immediate concerns are the removal of crude oil from their shoreline and fishing grounds, the restoration of their polluted environment and assistance for households whose livelihoods have been disrupted.
With the source of the spill still undetermined, attention is now on environmental regulators to establish what happened, identify responsibility and prevent the incident from becoming another prolonged burden on a fishing-dependent community.
