ECARD Reports New Oil Spill from Oando Pipeline in Bayelsa

On September 28, 2026, the Environmental Conservation Agriculture and Rural Development (ECARD) reported a fresh oil spill along Oando’s Ogboinbiri/Tebidaba pipeline in the Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa state. The spill, which occurred on September 23, was located near the boundary between Ogboinbiri and Keme-ebiama communities, with Keme-ebiama experiencing the most significant environmental impact.

Alagoa Morris, ECARD’s field investigator, stated that the incident was attributed to equipment failure following a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV). Cleanup operations were already in progress when ECARD visited the site on September 26.

A cleanup team member confirmed the JIV findings, and a source from the Bayelsa Ministry of Environment corroborated the cause as equipment failure. Morris expressed concern over the standard of oil spill cleanup operations, noting that many affected sites were inadequately remediated.

Since Oando acquired the former Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) interest in 2024, approximately ten spill incidents have been recorded along the pipeline corridor.