Leaders of the Kpean Community in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State have urged the Federal Government to be accountable for what they described as a massive oil spill that has plunged the community into a deep environmental and humanitarian crisis.

They said the spill has devastated farmlands, polluted rivers and exposed residents to hazardous living conditions.

Community leaders, youths and traditional authorities accused the Federal Government, Shell and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) of negligence and abandonment.

The scale of the destruction became evident on Friday, December 26, 2025, when members of the Kpean Council of Chiefs and Elders, alongside youth leaders, conducted an inspection tour of the affected areas.

According to local leaders, what they encountered was nothing short of catastrophic.

Speaking to journalists during the tour, Chief Anthony Waadah, Gbenemene of Legbo Kingdom and President of the Ogoni Association of Business Owners in America, described the spill as a “total and unacceptable disaster” that underscored decades of environmental abuse in Ogoniland.

Waadah said, “The federal government cannot continue to come to Ogoniland to talk about oil resumption when they haven’t cleaned up the mess they’ve inflicted on our land since 1957.

“For decades, our rivers, farmlands and communities have suffered in total disregard for international best practices.”

As he walked through the spill site, pointing to oil-coated soil and contaminated waterways, Waadah expressed grave concern over the health and survival of residents.

“Even animals are dying here. How can humans survive in these conditions?” he asked. “Yet the federal government, the presidency and the Minister of Environment appear unconcerned. This is not charity—we are demanding justice.”

He also called on the international community to intervene, urging independent investigations into the roles of Shell and NNPCL.

“We cannot continue to live in fear every day. The world must see what we are passing through,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Paramount Ruler of Kpean, Lucky Gbene-Ewoh, described the situation as unbearable and criticised what he called the government’s inadequate response.

“We cannot go fishing again. We cannot farm. Our people cry every day,” Gbene-Ewoh said. “NNPCL confirmed equipment failure and corrosion, yet they failed to act for over two months, despite repeated assurances from both the federal and state governments.”

According to the monarch, the community has exhausted all formal channels in seeking help, revealing that petitions, letters and multiple visits to Abuja yielded no tangible response.

“The silence is deafening,” he said. “We need urgent intervention before more lives are lost.”

Youth leaders in the community also rejected claims that the spill was caused by third-party interference, describing such allegations as an attempt to shift blame onto the victims.

Speaking on behalf of Kpean youths, the Youth President, Lemii Petaba, expressed frustration and anger over what he described as systemic marginalisation.

“We are angry because the federal government continues to blame our people for this disaster,” Petaba said. “They claim third-party intervention, but they refused to give us a voice. Our rivers, farms and farmlands have been destroyed. We will not sit idly by while our community is neglected.” (The Guardian)

•Leaders of the Kpean Community in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State inspects level of pollution in the area

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