NSA Orders Security Boost at Inactive Ogoni Oil Wells After Spill

The Federal Government has ordered an immediate tightening of security around all inactive oil wells in Ogoniland, Rivers State, following a major spill at the Yorla Oil Field which officials have labelled an act of sabotage.

The directive came during a visit to the spill site on Monday by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who led a high-level delegation to assess the environmental damage. The spill, which occurred in September, has devastated farmlands and vegetation in Kpean community, Khana Local Government Area.

Ribadu condemned the incident as “terrible” and “unfortunate,” stating that preliminary findings pointed to vandalism rather than equipment failure. “This is a well that has not been active for over 30 years,” he said. “Selfish individuals came to vandalise facilities in the hope of stealing crude. The damage they have caused is extensive.”

While civil society groups had earlier attributed the spill to equipment failure, Ribadu appealed to residents to protect the nation’s assets and vowed that those responsible would be identified and prosecuted. “Bringing perpetrators to justice is one of the most effective ways of tackling criminality,” he stressed.

He also confirmed that the leakage had been stopped and recovery efforts were underway, with further assessments ongoing to restore the impacted area.

The delegation, which included the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Bashir Ojulari, and the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, also engaged with community leaders and visited local facilities including the Federal University of Environment and Technology.

Ojulari announced that a Joint Investigation Visit is currently being conducted to fully evaluate the site now that conditions are safer. “The first step will be a full asset integrity assessment to secure vulnerable points and carry out remediation,” he said, noting that the long-term goal is to enable safe production in the future.

Minister Lawal described the spill as “disturbing” and confirmed arrangements are being made, alongside the Office of the NSA, to address other areas at risk of similar incidents.

Ribadu commended the Rivers State Government and praised President Bola Tinubu’s interventions, expressing hope that Ogoniland is entering a new phase of development after decades of environmental degradation.

“This wealth belongs to the community and to all of us,” he said. “Let us protect it instead of allowing a few selfish individuals to destroy it.”