Residents of oil-polluted communities in Ogoniland, Rivers State, have raised fresh concerns over the effectiveness of the ongoing clean-up exercise by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), alleging that fish and periwinkles harvested from local waters are still contaminated with crude oil.
The fisherfolk, drawn from Gbee, K-Dere and Nweemuu communities, voiced their grievances on Wednesday during a multi-stakeholder dialogue held in Kpor, headquarters of Gokana Local Government Area. The dialogue, themed “Restoring Rivers, Reviving Livelihoods, Renewing Lives,” brought together affected community members, HYPREP officials, academics, civil society groups and regulators.regulators
Community leaders, including Chief Nadabel John, Chief Emmanuel Pii and Madam Grace Namon, told participants that farmlands, rivers and mangroves in their areas remain polluted years after the clean-up began.
“Our fish and periwinkles still smell of crude oil when we catch them and even after cooking,” the residents said, warning that people continue to consume contaminated seafood because they have no alternative means of survival.
The dialogue was convened by investigative journalist Anuoluwapo Adelakun of the Pulitzer Centre for Crisis Reporting, who said the engagement followed findings from an independent investigation that revealed a widening information gap between HYPREP and host communities.
Adelakun disclosed that a study conducted in partnership with the University of Port Harcourt found that water sediments in several Ogoni communities still contain dangerous levels of heavy metals, including nickel, a known carcinogen.
He asserted that laboratory analysis showed that fish species such as tilapia also recorded high concentrations of these toxic substances.
“We took samples from Bodo, K-Dere, Gbee and Mogho because people are still actively fishing and using the rivers,” Adelakun said. “What we found was alarming—extremely high levels of heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons in water, fish and periwinkles.”
She warned that continued consumption of contaminated seafood could have severe long-term health consequences, particularly for children.
“Families are still eating poisoned fish daily, even though HYPREP claims 70 per cent mangrove restoration and about 20 per cent shoreline clean-up. Independent research shows children in many parts of Ogoni face a high cancer risk,” she added.
However, HYPREP rejected claims that living periwinkles could be harvested from heavily oil-polluted areas.
Read also:
- Pipeline surveillance contract: Group faults Rita-Lori Ogbebor, Asari Dokubo
- Fuel Price Hike: Patronise only filling stations selling lower prices – DTSG
- Beyond the lure of oil
Peter Lenu, Technical Assistant to the HYPREP Project Coordinator on Shoreline Clean-up, insisted that it is “scientifically impossible” for periwinkles to survive in areas freshly polluted by crude oil.
“You cannot find live periwinkles in fresh hydrocarbon pollution,” Lenu said, arguing that some of the claims by residents required clarification.
He maintained that remediation in Ogoniland is a long-term process, in line with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recommendation that the clean-up could take between 25 and 30 years.
Responding to findings which indicated Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) levels of about 277.5mg/kg in one study area, Lenu described the result as evidence of major progress.
“When baseline contamination was over 20,000mg/kg, achieving 277.5mg/kg represents about 98 per cent clean-up success,” he said. “Significant work has been done, but it is still a process.”
Lenu explained that HYPREP is using an Enhanced Natural Attenuation method, which relies on natural recovery mechanisms and therefore requires time.
He also disclosed that second-phase shoreline clean-up contracts have been awarded in five concerned communities and are expected to commence before the end of the first quarter of 2026.
He said some contamination observed in Nweemuu could also be linked to agricultural runoff, including fertilisers and pesticides washed into rivers by rainfall.
Lenu added that a comprehensive health study is currently being conducted by HYPREP in collaboration with the World Health Organisation to assess the long-term health impacts of oil pollution on Ogoni residents.
While defending HYPREP’s progress, affected community members and civil society groups at the dialogue insisted that the lived realities in Ogoniland contradict official claims, calling for greater transparency, independent monitoring and urgent measures to protect public health.
