Abandoned To Disaster: CAPPA Raises Alarm Over Oil Spill, Ocean Surge Crisis In Ondo Community
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
In Nigeria’s oil-producing regions, environmental disasters often unfold quietly, until communities are pushed to the brink.
That is now the reality for residents of Abereke in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, where oil spills and relentless ocean surges are devastating lives and livelihoods.
The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on both the Federal Government and Ondo State authorities to urgently intervene in what it describes as a worsening environmental and humanitarian crisis.
Following a field visit, the organisation warned that the situation in Abereke is “devastating and fast deteriorating,” with residents grappling with severe ecological damage and deepening poverty.
CAPPA’s Associate Director, Martins Ogunlade, blamed the crisis on “corporate irresponsibility and government inaction,” stressing that the community has been left to suffer avoidable consequences.
The group linked the latest oil spill, allegedly involving Guarantee Petroleum Company, to October last year, noting that its impact continues to ravage water bodies, destroy aquatic life, and wipe out fishing tools, the community’s primary means of survival.
Beyond oil pollution, rising ocean tides and coastal erosion have submerged large swathes of land, compounding the hardship.
CAPPA also highlighted the collapse of essential infrastructure, including the community’s only primary school, while the absence of healthcare services leaves residents vulnerable and dependent on local remedies.
Despite repeated appeals to authorities and oil companies operating in the region, CAPPA said Abereke has received little to no response.
The group is now demanding immediate environmental clean-up, compensation for affected residents, and the construction of coastal defences, alongside a comprehensive impact assessment to prevent further damage.
It further noted that Abereke’s plight reflects a broader pattern across Ilaje, where communities have long accused oil giants such as Agip, Shell, Chevron, and Guarantee Petroleum of contributing to widespread ecological degradation.
Describing the situation as a clear case of environmental injustice, CAPPA insisted that affected communities are demanding accountability, not charity, and urged the government to act swiftly to restore dignity and livelihoods.
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