Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has ordered immediate emergency medical intervention and a comprehensive environmental cleanup following a massive oil spill along the Trans-Forcados pipeline, which has now devastated at least 216 communities across the state.
Speaking on Tuesday during an on-the-spot inspection visit to Odidi, an impacted Ijaw community in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Governor Oborevwori declared that the state government would not stand by while host communities suffer the hazardous consequences of environmental degradation.
The governor disclosed that the number of impacted riverine settlements has surged dramatically from an initial estimate of 86 to 216 communities, noting that the heavy pollution has destroyed fishing grounds, crippled local livelihoods, and driven up the cost of food across the axis.
”We have to take this matter seriously. Once you see what is happening, you realize that it is a very big issue. We don’t want our people dying at this time. We cannot afford to lose our focus or waste time. We have to act quickly and decisively,” Oborevwori stated.
To mitigate immediate health hazards, the governor directed the State Commissioner for Health to deploy emergency medical teams across all affected communities to conduct clinical assessments and address emerging respiratory illnesses and waterborne risks.
He also issued a direct directive to the operator of the line, Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL), to immediately deploy its medical personnel and distribute emergency relief materials to host families.
Governor Oborevwori—who was accompanied by the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, and the Chairman of Warri South-West LGA, Hon. Sylvester Oromoni—assured residents that intervention would extend beyond temporary relief packages.
He noted that HEOSL has committed to concluding technical containment operations and completing site cleanup before the end of October 2026, after which structured negotiations for compensation and environmental remediation will begin.
Present at the site inspection, the General Manager of Operations Integrity at HEOSL, Mr. Nelson Wilbert, reaffirmed the firm’s commitment to collaborating with the Delta State Government, host communities, and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to seal the spill point, restore operations safely, and execute full environmental remediation.
However, reacting to the situation, the President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Dr. Doubra Okotete, raised concerns that crude oil was still leaking into local waterways. He called for an immediate shutdown of compromised pipeline segments, comprehensive remediation, fair financial compensation, and enhanced medical aid for rural residents suffering from respiratory distress.
Governor Oborevwori urged impacted communities to remain peaceful and law-abiding, assuring them that all formal commitments made by the operating company would be strictly enforced by the state government
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