The Federal Government has directed that security be immediately reinforced around all inactive oil wells in Ogoniland, Rivers State, to forestall tampering and deliberate acts of vandalism.
Authorities also pledged to track down and prosecute individuals connected to the large-scale oil spill that occurred at the Yorla Oil Field in Kpean community, Khana Local Government Area.
This was disclosed on Monday by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, during a visit to Ogoniland where he led a Federal Government team to evaluate the level of destruction caused by the spill.
The oil spill, which occurred in September, caused extensive damage to farmlands and surrounding vegetation, raising environmental and livelihood concerns among residents.
While the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC), led by its Executive Director, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene, had attributed the incident to equipment failure, Ribadu dismissed the claim, describing the spill as an act of sabotage.
Addressing community members during the visit, the NSA said the level of destruction was alarming and appealed to residents to safeguard both community and national assets.
According to him, the affected oil well had been dormant for more than three decades, yet had been vandalised by individuals seeking to illegally siphon crude oil, resulting in severe environmental damage.
Ribadu confirmed that the spill had been successfully contained and said recovery and remediation efforts were already underway. He added that investigations were ongoing and vowed that those responsible would be held accountable.
He stressed that prosecuting offenders would serve as a strong deterrent against similar crimes, noting that no individual would be allowed to sabotage national resources without consequences.
The NSA further assured residents that security agencies had been deployed to monitor all abandoned and inactive oil facilities across Ogoniland to prevent a recurrence.
As part of the engagement, the Federal Government delegation also visited the Federal University of Environment and Technology, health facilities, and other key institutions in the area.
Ribadu commended the Rivers State Government for its cooperation and praised President Bola Tinubu for prioritising Ogoniland, noting that the region was beginning to experience renewed development after years of environmental neglect.
Also speaking, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bashir Ojulari, disclosed that a Joint Investigation Visit had already taken place at the spill site, with a follow-up inspection currently ongoing to allow for a more detailed assessment.
Ojulari said the initial inspection was conducted under unsafe conditions due to high pressure at the site, but the ongoing assessment would focus on asset integrity, remediation, and securing vulnerable infrastructure to ensure safe future operations.
Similarly, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, described the incident as troubling but confirmed that the spill had been stopped. He added that collaborative measures were being put in place with the Office of the NSA to identify and address other areas at risk of similar incidents.
