Gas leaks from an oil company facility have rocked Sangama Community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The facility where the leak was spotted was said to have previously been operated by an oil firm but was later transferred to a different firm, probably the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited.
Sources in the community said the gas leaks were first noticed last week, saying it had been diffusing ceaselessly, thereby causing panic in the Island community.
The Youth Leader of Sangama Community, Mr. Iyalla John-Jumbo, said the community had contacted Shell but that the company had yet to intervene.
He said many residents had fled the community as a result of a similar occurrence in the area in 2020, adding that they had suffered from loss of smell and taste.
John-Jumbo said during the 2020 incident, about three persons were hospitalized as they suffered different symptoms of ailments, hence this time around, the community was also deserted.
He said, “We are calling on the President, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, and other stakeholders to compel the NDPC to quickly shut down the facility to mitigate any further impact on the area.”
When contacted, a spokesman for Shell, Micheal Adande, said the facility did not belong to the shell.
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