Foropa, a fishing settlement along the Atlantic coastline in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa, reported a ‘mystery’ oil spill that polluted the coastline.

Mystery spills refer to crude oil leaks from unknown sources where many oil firms operate near each other.

A January 8 notification letter signed by Olabai Olozulu, the traditional ruler of Foropa, Middleton, indicated that the oil leak at the coastline was noticed on January 3.

The letter was addressed to the Head of Bayelsa Office of the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa capital.

The letter stated that six oil firms operate within the Foropa vicinity in Southern Ijaw LGA.

The companies include First E & P, Conoil Exploration, NEPL, Shell and Nigdel United Oil Company.

The community urged the regulatory agency and other government organs to trace the source of the spill and mitigate its impact on the predominantly fishing settlement.

The community also urged the oil firms to mobilise relief materials to reduce the suffering of the people.

Chukwuemeka Iheanacho, NOSDRA head in Bayelsa, confirmed that the agency received the report and was planning a joint visit to the impacted site with all the oil companies in the area.

Mr Iheanachor said a “fingerprinting” analysis of the crude samples from the site would reveal the operator whose facility discharged the crude into the environment.

“We are planning a Joint Investigation visit by next Tuesday. I am writing to all the operators within the area to send their representatives because samples will be collected for fingerprinting,” Mr Iheanacho said.

Darius Sese, chairman of the Community Development Committee in Foropa, said Wednesday that the incident had adversely impacted fishing in the area.

He said fishermen could no longer catch since the spill occurred as fishes had migrated deeper into the Atlantic waters away from the coastline. 

(NAN)