Farmers, impacted by the April 15 oil leak incident from Shell’s Kolo Creek oil fields in Otuasega, Bayelsa, are seeking legal help over the spill impact.

The farmers said that a Joint Investigation Visit to probe the cause and impact of the spill excluded their farms despite efforts to draw the attention of the team to the impacted areas.

Mr Aku Aseimo, a fish farmer, whose three ponds were impacted, said that the affected farmers numbering over 50 resolved to seek legal redress following the adamant posture of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

“This is a clear case of the strong and rich oil firm against the weak and poor farmers, they are claiming that the spill was caused by sabotage and abandoned the polluted environment.

“The regulations which they rely on to absolve themselves clearly stated that the operator of the field where pollution occurs cleans up the site irrespective of the cause but SPDC officials declined to capture of farms as impacted areas.

“We have always believed that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man, and we shall tell the courts that the spill was as a result of negligence by SPDC surveillance contractors deployed to guard the facility.

“We have decided not to resort to self help but to seek justice and we are appealing to public interest organisations to come to our aid, we are currently counting our losses,” Aseimo lamented.

The farmers, made up of fish farmers, banana as well as plantain plantation owners in the area, also appealed to Bayelsa government to assist them in prevailing on the oil firm to clean up the areas and compensate them.

Bayelsa State Commissioner for Environment, Mr Iniruo Wills had earlier said that the state government would verify the reported exclusion of impacted sites from the ongoing clean up.

“We have to look the information and verify it and if it is true that the impacted area was larger than what was originally captured, we shall find a way of addressing these concerns.

“All parties have a duty to make sure that they are included, nobody can hide under the cover of technicalities to say that a fact that is reality will not be captured.

“We have to look at it and address it one way or the other even if it means paying another visit, another JIV to expand the scope, we cannot leave those people outside the net of justice,” Wills said.

However, Head of Media Relations in SPDC Mr Precious Okoloba, told NAN that the oil firm stands by the report of the JIV report that allegedly excluded vast parts of impacted areas.

“The JIV clearly states the cause and area of impact. Under Nigerian oil and gas regulations, the JIV determines the cause and impact of spill incidents. The investigation team which visited the site of the Kolo Creek spill on April 16 concluded that the spill was caused by sabotage,” Okolobo said.

•Photo shows oil spill