News

Oil Spill: Declare Environmental Emergency On Odimodi Community Now, Environmental Rights Action Urges FG, Shell

Published

4 years ago

September 5, 2022

Editor

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria to declare an environmental emergency on Odimodi community, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.

ERA/FoEN call followed a devastation caused by toxic spills from Shell Petroleum Development Company facilities in the community.

According to a statement signed by the organization’s Programme Manager, Ubrei-Joe Maimoni Mariere, and made available to INFO DAILY, the spill, which occurred mid-August, has caused the death of hundreds of fish along the creek of the Odimodi community among other environmental and health hazards posed to the community.

The statement added that the community had reported to ERA/FoEN that a spill of waste petroleum products that spewed from Shell’s waste disposal pipeline that carries products from the Forcados Shell’s terminal down to the high sea had occured.

Mariere in the statement noted that the faulty pipeline has been in the community for more than five decades and consistently leaks waste petroleum products from the valves of the pipeline.

ERA/FoEN, in the statement lamented that the vegetation of the environment where these droplets are found and water body is constantly brownish in color.

“This incident was reported by motorcyclists who noticed the massive spilling of the waste petroleum products into the creeks to the community. This alarm necessitated ERA/FoEN to ascertain how far the waste petroleum products have spread and the havoc it has wreaked on the creek,” ERA/FoEN stated.

According to ERA/FoEN, going by observation, Odimodi community has become a polluted colony with unaddressed crude oil spillage of 2018 and the August 19, 2022 waste water spillage.

The organisation further lamented that despite the fact that the people relied on fishing as their major sources of livelihoods, “Shell inaction has continued to wreak havoc on the people’s fishing economy. “

ERA/FoEN, in the statement insisted that Shell, must as a matter of urgency, return to the community to conduct post impact assessment and put machinery in place to clean up all affected areas in the community by the crude spillage of 2018 and the present pollution from the waste water disposal pipeline.

It added ”All ongoing oil-induced inter and intra community conflicts should be resolved with all fairness. Affected people of the community should be compensated for the economic hardship meted on them by the oil industries.”

All efforts to get Shell’s reaction proved abortive.

News

Edo NLC Crisis: Caretaker Committee Drags Rival Exco, Govt To Court

Published

3 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The division in the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), took a new dimension on Wednesday as Prof. Monday Monday Lewis Igbafen-led caretaker committee approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Benin Judicial Division, seeking to affirm its authority and restrain a rival executive from parading itself as the council’s leadership.

Joined in the suit are the Edo State Government, the Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

In a suit marked: NICN/BEN/12/2026, and filed before the court in Benin, the claimant, Igbafen, acting for himself and on behalf of the NLC Caretaker Committee in Edo State, is challenging the continued occupation of the union’s secretariat and control of its assets by members of the Bernard Egwakhide-led factional State Executive Council.

The claimants are asking the court to declare that the caretaker committee (Igbafen-led faction), constituted on August 11, 2025, by the NLC national leadership, remains the only lawful authority to administer the affairs of the Edo State Council pending fresh elections.

They further seek a declaration that the continued occupation of the NLC secretariat located at No. 1 Teboga Road, Benin City, as well as the retention of union assets, financial records, and official instruments by the defendants, is illegal and void.

The suit also prays for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from parading themselves as officials of the NLC Edo Council or interfering with the functions of the caretaker committee.

In addition, the claimants are seeking a mandatory order compelling the defendants to immediately hand over the secretariat, vehicles, financial documents, cheque books, and all other properties belonging to the union.

The caretaker committee further urged the court to restrain the state government and its officials from interfering in the internal affairs of the union, alleging undue support for the dissolved executive.

The claimants further demand N50 million as general and exemplary damages against the defendants for alleged unlawful usurpation of office and acts prejudicial to the administration of the council.

According to court documents made available to our correspondent, the crisis followed the dissolution of the Edo State Council by the NLC National Executive Council on February 27, 2025, over allegations of misconduct, anti-union activities, and constitutional violations.

However, the matter has yet to be assigned a hearing date.

News

Transfer: Premier League Clubs Scramble For Dele-Bashiru

Published

8 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Lazio midfielder, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is a subject of interest from three Premier League clubs, according to Sky Sports.

Lazio reportedly rejected offers from Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth for the Nigeria international in January.

La Biancolesti are bracing for more interest in Dele-Bashiru ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Sky Sports.

The 24-year-old has two years left on his contract with the Serie A club.

The attacking midfielder joined the Rome-based club from Turkish Super Lig outfit Hatayspor in 2024.

He has been a regular feature for Lazio this season.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Students To Picket MTN, MultiChoice, Other Businesses

Published

9 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS South-West Zone D, has announced plans to picket South African companies in Nigeria following the ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

DAILY POST reports that some Nigerians were recently killed in South Africa over the violent attacks.

A statement issued to newsmen by Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, Coordinator, NANS South-West, Zone D, said that the association is mobilizing to take decisive and lawful action by organizing peaceful picketing and mass advocacy against South African business interests operating in Nigeria.

“We categorically state that the continued targeting of Nigerians under any guise is unacceptable and must come to an immediate end.

“This will include major corporations such as MTN Group and MultiChoice Group. It is morally indefensible for businesses to thrive in an environment where the lives of Nigerians are protected, while Nigerians are subjected to fear and violence elsewhere.

“This contradiction will no longer be tolerated,” the statement said.