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Residents of oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta have raised concerns over alleged increases in unexplained deaths, cancer cases, skin diseases and early menopause, which they blame on persistent oil spills and gas leaks.
The residents, from Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Akwa Ibom states, voiced their concerns on Tuesday in Port Harcourt during the second People’s Environmental Assembly, also known as Eco-Festival, organised by the environmental rights group, We the People.
The festival, themed “A Celebration of Culture, Resilience and Resistance,” focused on the environmental and social consequences of more than seven decades of oil exploration in the region.
Participants said oil pollution had damaged farmlands, fishing grounds and water sources, threatening livelihoods and exposing communities to potential health risks.
Precious Ibegwura of Erema Community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State said pollution had devastated his community and contributed to numerous health challenges.
“Our community today is nothing to write home about. Erema is now a community of tears. The oil companies have destroyed our land. They have left pollution everywhere,” he said.
Ibegwura lamented that residents were struggling with health problems and called for justice over the environmental damage.
Similarly, Mitema Suoye George of Otuabagi Community in Bayelsa State said oil exploration had undermined fishing activities and raised concerns about women's health.
She recalled that fishing had been more productive before oil exploration began in the community.
George alleged that some women as young as 35 had stopped menstruating, while a study reportedly conducted by the KATBETKACHE Women Development Centre identified cancer cases among residents.
She called for urgent intervention and justice for affected communities.
Warda Nebani Beryamon, a former youth leader in Ikarama Community, Bayelsa State, also expressed concern over oil spills and alleged cancer cases in the area.
In Rivers State, Pastor Timothy Agumbiade, Executive Vice President of the Bille Kingdom Youth Federation in Degema Local Government Area, said gas leaks affecting the waterways of Bille had persisted since October 2025.
Agumbiade said the community, which hosts two major oil fields, had received more than 16 visits involving government agencies and media organisations, with samples reportedly collected, but residents were yet to see meaningful action.
He claimed that seven people died in September and four others in October, most of them below 60 years of age.
Agumbiade also recalled an explosion on July 3 that killed a woman, adding that residents, including children, had reported skin rashes and eye problems.
The community representative called for urgent investigation into the reported deaths, illnesses and persistent gas leaks.
Convener of We the People, Comrade Ken Henshaw, said decades of oil exploration had left the Niger Delta grappling with a prolonged environmental crisis.
He called for a comprehensive environmental audit to determine the extent of pollution, identify those responsible and guide remediation efforts.
Henshaw said the Eco-Festival was designed to amplify the voices of affected communities, promote public engagement and strengthen demands for environmental justice and accountability from oil companies.
The health conditions and deaths reported by residents were presented as community concerns linked to pollution; independent medical and environmental investigations would be needed to establish the causes.
