By Rhoda Godwin, Yenagoa
… Azuzuama Faces Another Oil Spill and Another Battle for the Truth
For the people of Azuzuama, a riverine community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, an oil spill is more than an environmental disaster. It is a painful reminder of a tragedy they have never forgotten.
When crude oil leaked from Oando’s six-inch Azuzuama-Tebidaba flowline on June 25, 2026, residents feared not only for their rivers, fishing grounds and livelihoods, but also that history was about to repeat itself.
Weeks after the spill, the community is locked in a bitter dispute with oil company officials and government regulators over what actually caused the incident, delaying a conclusion that will determine responsibility, cleanup and compensation.
The disagreement emerged during the mandatory Joint Investigation Visit (JIV), a statutory process involving the operating company, regulators, state officials and host community representatives. The investigation is expected to establish the cause of an oil spill, estimate the volume of crude released and assess the affected environment.
However, instead of bringing clarity, the investigation has deepened mistrust.
Officials from the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment concluded that the pipeline rupture resulted from “induced corrosion,” suggesting that acid may have been deliberately applied to the pipeline coating, causing damage consistent with sabotage.
Engr. Reuben Enai, Director of Petroleum and Pollution in the ministry, explained that burn marks found on the coating at the top section of the pipeline indicated deliberate interference rather than natural corrosion.
According to him, corrosion occurring naturally would not normally affect the uppermost part of the pipeline.
But community leaders strongly disagree.
To them, the rust visible on the exposed pipeline tells a different story—one of ageing infrastructure and equipment failure.
Chairman of the Azuzuama Community Development Committee, Angasei Perediseghebofa, argued that the pipeline showed clear signs of long-term corrosion.
He also questioned the credibility of the investigation after equipment introduced by Oando reportedly malfunctioned during inspections, making it impossible to accurately determine the source of the leak.
The community’s Vice Chairman, Uyabara Boneghen, expressed similar concerns, claiming that testing devices produced identical readings at different locations.
Even more worrying, he pointed to another leak beneath a platform in the river where bubbling gas was allegedly observed, saying the issue remains unresolved despite posing fresh environmental risks.
Environmental advocacy organisation, Environmental Conservation Agriculture and Rural Development (ECARD), which monitored the investigation, said disagreements between the oil company, regulators and community representatives prevented the Joint Investigation Visit from reaching a final conclusion.
The group noted that even a follow-up inspection conducted on July 15 failed to produce consensus on the cause of the spill.
For Azuzuama residents, the dispute is about more than technical findings.
It is about trust.
Many still carry the emotional scars of July 9, 2015, when a pipeline explosion at the same corridor claimed the lives of 14 people, including officials of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment during a Joint Investigation Visit and repair operation.
The tragedy remains one of the deadliest pipeline-related disasters in the Niger Delta.
More than a decade later, memories of that day continue to shape how residents view every investigation and every official conclusion.
While investigators debate the cause of the latest spill, community members worry about the growing environmental impact.
Oil contamination threatens fishing activities, destroys aquatic life and affects the rivers that sustain daily living in the riverine settlement.
ECARD has therefore called on Oando to immediately contain the spill, clean up polluted areas and repair the reported underwater leak before further damage is done.
The organisation also urged authorities to conduct a separate investigation into the alleged underwater leak, warning that continued hydrocarbon discharge could cause lasting damage to the fragile aquatic ecosystem.
As crude continues to threaten the waters of Azuzuama, residents say they are not only seeking compensation but also accountability and assurance that their environment and lives will not again be placed at risk.
For a community still haunted by the memories of 2015, resolving the dispute over the latest oil spill is about restoring confidence in a process that many believe should deliver justice as much as scientific findings.
