Ntafre Residents Demand Cleanup After Oil Spill Incident

Residents of Ntafre, a coastal community in Ibeno local government area of Akwa Ibom State, have called for urgent cleanup and compensation due to suspected crude oil pollution affecting their creek and fishing activities. This demand followed a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) conducted on Wednesday, five days after officials from the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Environment visited the area in response to reports of an oil spill.

During the investigation, participants observed crude oil stains on vegetation, shrubs, and mangrove stems around Ntafre Creek. NOSDRA, alongside the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Environment and oil companies, collected samples for laboratory analysis to identify the responsible oil company.

The village head, Akpan Bassey, expressed concerns about the community's lack of infrastructure, stating that despite being surrounded by oil companies, they have no medical center or clean water supply.