The Bonny Kingdom Development Committee (BKDC) says it will synergize with the Rivers State Government, Bonny Local Government, as well as other stakeholders to find relief measures for victims of the recent oil spill at Iloma Community.

The BKDC, in a statement on Monday, November 25, 2024 signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Amaopusenibo Amairigha Hart, and Wariopusenibo Daddy Dappa, and made exclusively available to Kristina Reports, said the incident was confirmed to it by its sister institution, the Bonny Environmental Consultants Committee (BECC).

Checks by Kristina Reports indicate that the oil spill occurred at about 7.00pm on Saturday, November 23, 2024 when a pipeline allegedly belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) burst open and splashed crude oil all over Iloma Community as well as the adjoining areas covering about one kilometer radius of the impact site.

The BKDC called on the NNPCL to immediately engage it and BECC to discuss ways to contain the situation, checkmate further devastation, churn out relief materials to the impacted and affected communities, and call out compensation to the victims.  

The BKDC’s statement is reproduced in part below:

“STATEMENT ON OIL SPILL AT ILOMA COMMUNITY

The Bonny Kingdom Development Committee (BKDC), the coordinating institution for development efforts in Bonny Kingdom, has been inundated with reports of an oil spill incident along the pipeline right of way at latitude 4.447338⁰ and longitude 7.192392⁰, in Iloma Community in Bonny LGA of Rivers State. 

In the light of the foregoing, BKDC wishes to state as follows:

1.         The Bonny Kingdom Development Committee (BKDC) has been informed by its sister institution, the Bonny Environmental Consultants Committee (BECC) that an oil spill has occurred at Iloma Community.

2.         The BKDC is aware that at upon inspection of the incidented pipeline, notice was taken of the flange on it, the surrounding environment, equipment on site, range of spill, and locals were also spoken with on the incident and based on the professional advice of BECC there is reason to believe that the incident was not a third party orchestrated incident.

3.         The BKDC aligns with BECC in expressing its displeasure with the NNPCL and its subsidiary for sending a maintenance team to Iloma Community without any form of engagement with Bonny Kingdom’s environmental watchdog, BECC or the impacted communities. We vehemently condemn in strong terms such disregard for our Kingdom institutions. 

4.         The BKDC joins BECC to instantly call on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to immediately engage with both institutions to activate processes to evacuate the impacted areas both immediate and remote, provide relief materials to the impacted and affected communities, start immediate containment and remediation measures to checkmate further devastation, and provide compensation to the impacted and affected communities. 

5.         The BKDC will reach out to the Executive Chairman of Bonny LGA, Dame Hon. Anengi Barasua Claude-Wilcox, and the Rivers State Ministry of Environment to find an immediate measure in alleviating the sufferings of the people occasioned by this spill.

6.         The security agencies, particularly, the 146 Battalion Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base deserve commendation for being proactive in asserting security governance around the impacted sites to forestall further encroachments and exposure to danger.

7.         The BKDC enjoins residents of Bonny Island, especially, those around the impacted and affected communities to remain calm and law abiding as measures are being taken to remedy the situation.

8.         The BKDC will continue monitoring the situation as it unfolds while it continues to synergize with all relevant development stakeholders in Bonny Kingdom to ensure the current situation is resolved as quickly as possible and for our people to return to their homes safely and peacefully.”

The Bonny Kingdom Development Committee (BKDC) was established by the Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of Grand Bonny Kingdom to coordinate development efforts across Bonny Kingdom.

It comprises of technocrats from different walks of life who have acquitted themselves creditably in their various fields of endeavour and are passionate about emplacing sustainable development in their homeland.