Indigenes of Odidi Federated Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State have raised alarm over what they described as the prolonged impact of a crude oil spill in their environment that has continued to impact negatively on the livelihoods of members of the community, while calling on Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL) in OML 42 to provide adequate relief materials as well as commence immediate and comprehensive cleanup of the affected areas.

A visit to the community on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, revealed HEOSL had dispatched food items comprosing of bags of garri, bags of rice, cartons of groundnut oil, tubers of yams, and some rams, which were on display in the community. However, residents expressed dissatisfaction with relief materials provided by the oil company, describing them as grossly inadequate compared with the number of people and households affected by the spill.

According to the indigenes, the pollution has continued to affect their environment and raised concerns over their livelihoods and health, particularly among residents who depend on the surrounding waterways and natural environment for fishing and other economic activities.

They appealed to the Federal Government, the Delta State Government and relevant regulatory and intervention agencies to urgently come to their aid by providing sufficient relief materials and facilitating an independent assessment of the extent of the pollution.

The residents particularly called for the deployment of a competent medical team to the community to conduct health examinations on children, women, the elderly and other residents who they said may have been exposed to the polluted environment over a prolonged period.

While acknowledging the relief intervention by Heritage Energy, the indigenes however maintained that the quantity of materials supplied was inadequate to cushion the hardship allegedly caused by the spill as they urged the company to increase the volume of relief supplies to affected households and move beyond temporary palliatives by addressing what they described as the more pressing challenge of restoring the contaminated environment.

"We are not begging for food," said a woman leader who pleaded anonymity. "What we are demanding for is our right which must be given to us. Unless more relief materials are coming, these ones are inadequate to go round," she complained.

Also speaking, Odidi Youth President, Comrade Meneko Friday, who was among natives that received the relief materials said, "We appreciate that some relief materials have been brought, but what was provided is not enough considering the number of people affected and the period we have been living with the consequences of this spill.

"But more importantly, what we need urgently is a proper cleanup of our environment. We also need medical professionals to come and assess the health of our people because we have been exposed to this situation for too long," he added.

Comrade Meneko appealed to the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State and all concerned authorities to treat the situation as an urgent environmental and humanitarian matter rather than allow residents to continue bearing the consequences of the reported spill.

"Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Ukodo is your title. Please bring Ukodo to us in the creek, we are begging you. Let us also enjoy the dividends of your administration because we are suffering. Now that we are peaceful they are not giving us attention. By the time we go the other way they will begin to blame us. Please, we are appealing, come to our rescue," he added 

The indigenes stressed that their demand is not only for immediate assistance but also for measures that would protect the long-term health, livelihood and environmental wellbeing of the people as they appealed to relevant federal and state environmental and petroleum regulatory authorities such as the National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency (NOSDRA) to visit the affected locations, independently ascertain the extent and cause of the pollution, ensure appropriate remediation and determine any further measures required to protect residents.

The community members further urged Heritage Energy to engage transparently with affected residents and community leadership in addressing the situation, insisting that restoring the environment should remain a priority, maintaining that the people of Odidi deserve access to a clean and safe environment, adding that continued pollution could have far-reaching consequences for fishing, aquatic resources and other traditional sources of livelihood.

The indigenes therefore called for urgent collaboration among Heritage Energy, the Federal Government, Delta State Government and relevant agencies to provide adequate humanitarian assistance, conduct medical assessments and ensure the affected environment is properly cleaned and restored.

The Odidi spill crisis has been ongoing for more than six months with the affected area yet to be cleaned up, with each passing day posing more threat to health of inhabitants of the creek community.