Shell

A non-governmental organisation, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, has urged the Federal Government to investigate the report of suspected “earth tremor’’ on July 10 in some parts of Bayelsa and Rivers.

The organisation made the call in its field report on the incident which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa on Sunday.

The report, signed by the organisation’s Head of Field Operations, Mr Alagoa Morris, said the vibration which occurred in Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC)’s oilfields cracked many buildings in the affected communities.

It named the affected communities as Igbogene and Akenfa in Bayelsa as well as Akinima, Akie-Oniso (Oruama) and Mbiama in Rivers.

According to the report, a similar incident occurred in 2014 at Freetown, Ikarama in Okordia clan in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

It said that the incident occurred within 15 kilometre radius at the oilfields belonging to the Anglo-Dutch company.

When contacted on the issue, Mr Precious Okolobo, SPDC’s Media Relations Manager, declined comment.(NAN)