SAHARA REPORTERS

Residents of Abuetor, Agbere, Osekwenike and Osifo communities in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have raised the alarm over what they described as “continuous pollution and degradation of their environment by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company operating the Samabri Flow Station.

The communities accused the oil multinational of dumping solid and oil waste into their environment, thereby polluting their rivers and destroying their farmlands.

In a statement by the President-General of the Samabri Agip Host Communities Youth Federation, Perfect Ikpekri, the residents said efforts made to stop the oil company from the act had been unsuccessful.

The statement reads, “We have made concerted efforts to stop the company from these acts of polluting and degrading our environment to no avail.

“The land and entire ecosystem are now in grave danger of sustaining the host communities who are predominantly fishermen and farmers.

“Therefore, we call on President Muhammadu Buhari, Federal Ministry of Environment, Directorate of Petroleum, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency including other regulatory bodies to come to our aid by compelling the Nigerian Agip Oil Company to agree to a comprehensive joint investigation of the impacted areas.”

Efforts to reach management of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company proved abortive, however, an official of the company who asked not to be named, told our correspondent that the communities had a good case to press.