Location: JK4 [Edagberi/Betterland community]

INTRODUCTION:
Joinkrama 4, popularly called JK4 is an Engene-speaking Ijaw community settled along the Taylor Creek and administratively situated in Ahoada West Local Government Area of River State. JK4 is in Edagberi/Betterland Community and has about 40 oil wells drilled and operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company [SPDC]. The community is host to Shell’s Adibawa oil field.

Fishing and farming are the major occupations of the people. Following series of oil spills caused by old, rusty pipes in the community environment, Shell did some replacement of sections of the 12-inch Adibawa/Okordia delivery line in the first quarter of 2010. On 18th September, ERA/FoEN received information of a fresh oil spill in the community. This news prompted ERA’s field monitor to visit the community on Sunday, 19th September 2010 to ascertain the true position of things. After arriving the community and establishing contact with Mr. Ambrose Osuolo, assistant-secretary of the community’s ruling caretaker committee. The community leader who is also a teacher, led ERA to the new spill site and revealed thus:

Mr. Ambrose Osuolo:
“The spill we are talking about occurred along the delivery line of Well 10. The other pipeline you see beside it is carrying oil from Biseni to the Adibawa Flow Station. The spill happened last Saturday 11th September 2010. And the cause of the spill is a conspiracy between Shell staff and some unknown persons. A Shell staff is the one that went round to instigate and engineers some youths in our community to vandalize the pipeline. His aim is to award the contract for repairs to the same boys after they have carried out the sabotage. This man has his own percentage of the contract. And some of the boys he uses to commit this environmental crime are all natives of our community. We have reported this matter to Shell and mentioned the names of the boys but Shell is yet to take any action to effect their arrest. Rather it is this same boys that were hired again for the recovery contract. Another sad thing is that, instead of support us to hand over the boys to the law enforcement agencies for their crime, their master in Shell who engineered them is begging us to leave them. I am prepared to say this anywhere and my chairman also.
We are waiting for Shell, the Federal Government and NNPC to hand over the boys who are collaborating with this Shell staff to sabotage the pipes. This is the third time now, it’s not the first. And, whenever it happens like this, Shell will deduct N200, 000.00 [two hundred thousand naira] from the surveillance money paid to our community. They also take advantage of the fact that the community will not be allowed to recommend the contractor for recovery and clean up once it is allegedly sabotage; so they commit the sabotage and also take the contract and share the money from it. I say we want the arrest of these saboteurs so that this kind of crime will stop in our environment. The community is serious about it. And, it was the reason why I was instructed to come and destroy the Geepee tank the boys were using for the recovery of the spilt crude oil…”

OBSERVATION:
At the spill site, ERA’s field monitor noticed several dead snails and other insects impacted by the oil spill. Apart from a black water tank seen at the site, some cans, cloths and other materials used for the recovery were also observed. A furrow that looked like a rivulet in the immediate environment was covered with the slick, extending far from the spill site. Though the water in the furrow is lower than the surrounding swamp, with increased volumes of water it will flow into the swamp and impact on fishing activity. A major observation is the fact that the crude oil bearing pipes here were all exposed, above the ground and running parallel to the road leading to Biseni, about three meters from the road; very visible to all.
ERA DEMANDS:
1    The people of JK4 [Edagberi/Betterland community] should remain resolute in their stand against sabotage as herein above.
2    Community youths should expose oil company staff/contractors that approach them for the purposes of making quick money from willful destruction of oil facilities in their environment, considering the consequences on community livelihood and sustainable development.
3     The authorities: Federal and State governments, including Shell should set up a special panel or committee to investigate the alleged act of aiding sabotage by Shell staff in communities.
4    Shell should follow due process and cleanup the impacted environment.
5    Where it is proven that oil company staff are involved in sabotage by way of instigating community youths, such staff/contractor should not just be made to face appropriate law, but the impacted community should be adequately compensated and cleanup effected.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
1.    Write to NOSDRA Offices below asking for prompt action to be taken against Shell
2.    Write to Shell offices below asking for prompt action to clean up the environment and compensate the impacted community
NOSDRA Offices

National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency
NAIC House 5th Floor Plot 590 Zone AO Central Business District
P.M.B 145 Garki, Abuja.
Tel: 09-461-8691-9
Email: info@nosdra.org

Port Harcourt
33 King Perekule Street
GRA, Phase II, Port Harcourt
Rivers State.Tel: 084-465-517, 0803-330-1815
Email: ph@nosdra.org

Warri
17 Swamp Road
Off Esisi Road, GRA
P.M.B. 1150, Warri
Delta State.Tel: 053-251-651, 0805-792-7605,
0803-565-0495
Email: warri@nosdra.org

Lagos

King George IV Street,
Games Village Off Bode Thomas Street,
Surulere Lagos State.


Shell Offices
LAGOS
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd.
Freeman House, 21/22 Marina, PMB 2418 Lagos
Nigeria
Tel: +234 1 2769999 or 08070269999

WARRI
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd.
P.O.Box 230
Warri, Nigeria
Tel: +234 53  449999

ABUJA
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd.
House 13, Shell Trustees Estate,
Madeira Street, Off Shehu Shagari Way
Maitama, Abuja
Nigeria
Tel: +234 9 413 8110

PORT-HARCOURT
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd.
P.O.Box 263, Shell Industrial Area, Rumuobiakani
Port Harcourt
Nigeria
Tel: +234 84 429999
Manager, Media Relations
Shell Nigeria
Tel:  +234 1 27 65019
Fax: 234 1 2636791
E-mail: shellnigeria@shell.com