09/09/2026
8th,September,2026
ALAKIRI GAS LEAK:
ALAKIRI COMMUNITY/IYC JOINT REPRESENTATIVES MEETS WITH NNPCL 18, NUPRC, NOSDRA AND SECURITY AGENCIES IN ABUJA.
As was reported in our last update on the situation, following our 7day ultimatum to the Government of Nigeria and the operators of the Alakiri facilities, representatives of the National Executive of the IYC was invited to a crucial meeting together with the leadership of the affected community and other very critical Stakeholders and Petroleum industry regulators. The Meeting was initially scheduled for Friday the 11th of September, 2026, but for obvious reasons it has to be rescheduled and held yesterday being Tuesday the 8th of September, 2026, in the Bauchi Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
In attendance at the meeting were representatives of the well head operators NNPLC 18, officials from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the NOSDRA, representatives from the Security Agencies, Officers from the DSS, officers from the Nigerian Navy, the Commander, Operation Delta Safe, JTF Headquaters (Igbogene, Yenagoa), representatives of the Alakiri Community, and indeed leadership of the 10th NEC of the IYC.
The meeting kicked-off in a very tense mood at about 11:25 p.m. with an introduction of the delegates on all sides by the anchor.
The Alakiri/IYC joint Representatives headed by the National President Comr. Dr. Doubra Collins Okotete, and Chiefs from the Palace of the Amayanabo of Okochiri, registered our displeasure on the two grounds:
1. primarily for the absence of the GMD of the NNPLC 18 as the meeting is ordinarily inchoate without the presence of the GMD.
2. The meeting is not supposed to be held at Abuja, that a meeting of this magnitude and concern should hold at the Community, so that it would avail senior staff of the company and officials of the government particularly the Management of the Operators, the ample opportunity to see for themselves and for personal evaluation, the situation on the ground.
The Commander of the Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Olugbenga Oladipo, raised objection for a meeting to be held at Alakiri Community as it is too risky for the Officers of the Community and other Government functioneries. To this the National President replied that if the Ijaw people have lived under this subhuman conditions for over 2years, there is absolutely nothing wrong for the management of the negligent company to stay there for a few hours at a meeting and see for themselves what they put the natives through, daily.
After comments by officers of the various institutions, the National President of the IYC speaking on behalf of the IYC/Alakiri Community Joint Committee presented Five(5)cardinal demands to the NNPLC 18, and the Government, the demands are:
1. The need for a definite time line within which the fire would be put out and the continuous gas leak stopped.
2. The publishing of the Joint Investigations Committee report on the matter: President reiterated that the JIV was still not available since 7th of March, 2024, when the leak was detected given rise to the inferno, and that up till this date the report and findings is yet to be published.
3. An Environment Impact Assessment of the situation which report should be made public for proper understanding of the situation and necessary actions
4. The immediate reinstatement of about 10 natives of the Alakiri Community that were disengaged by the NNPLC 18 from service following the outbreak of the fire in 2024.
5. The lack of safety measures at the water front of the Community that badging of petroleum products is currently ongoing.
Comr. Dr. Doubra Okotete made it explicitly clear that he and his team is in Abuja for serious Ijaw business and not for some jamboree, the reason he refused the Transcorp Hilton accommodation provided him and his team, was never to spite anyone but to register his dissatisfaction on the way and manner the industry has handled this and similar situations across Ijaw nation with levity.
In their response to the demands laid out by the Alakiri/IYC joint Rep, the delegation from the NNPLC, explained that at this time they can not give a definitive time line within which to put out the fire, as it is a technical issue that requires certain technical measures, but they have now set in motion a technical committee meeting in three weeks time in conjunction with the NUPRC and the NOSDRA for assessment of available options.
Explaining further, the NNPLC team revealed that they are working on a plan to dig a supporting wellhead where production would be diverted from the incidence well itself, the issue they say is that while digging of a well in a swampy area is generally the best at the moment giving that it would require about a month to achieve, however the scarcity of swamp wellhead digging equipment is an insurmountable hindrance as all available equipment is booked and won't be available till late 2028. Which now necessitates the consideration of rather digging a supporting well on dry land which generally takes about Three (3) months to complete, but they would be weighing the options at that Technical meeting.
They therefore requested a Three weeks window to allow the joint NNPLC/NUPRC/NOSDRA Technical Committee to do its work and come up with its advise, before a timeline can be given for putting out the fire.
The NNPLC team also responded on the EIA report, that the report is ready and would be made available soonest, and that they also have a monthly Environmental report on the impact of the fire which shall also be made available to all parties.
On the issue of the disengaged staff, the Company responded that the appeal would be looked into at the Management level and actions would be taken in no distant time to the knowledge of the IYC.
The NOSDRA on its part frowned at the NNPLC for what it described as shameful negligence on its part for failing to carry out a Post Spillage Impact Assessment and Post Damage Assessment, immediately following the fire outbreak, and that given the enormity of the fire, it is regrettable that the NNPLC is yet to complete or publish its report on the situation. They went further to re-affirm their commitment to the Community and the Environment thus will now monitor the situation more closely, as this is not just an environmental emergency but also a catastrophic humanitarian emergency, but however pleaded with the community and the IYC to allow the company time to work out the frame work for a timeline within which the fire would be put out.
The NUPRC on its part expressed deep sited displeasure with operators for their approach to the situation and advised that the well operators in the interest of clarity come up with a definite action chart or working plan and furnish all parties concerned with a detailed road map to putting out the fire. They advised that the chart should be detailed such that parties would be aware at all times what stage has been completed and what stage is ongoing or is pending, that way nerves would be calm and everyone would be carried along.
Rear Admiral Olugbenga Oladipo Commander of the JTF (South South) on his part expressed deep concern that the matter at hand constitutes a serious environmental/security threat and that he too has been on top of the matter. He called on all concerned or aggrieved persons to write to his office, as since taking over command his office has resolved over 280 of such conflicts between host communities and oil industry operators. He called on the Alakiri community to also write him officially on the issue of the disengaged indigenous staff and he would add his voice for their reinstatement. He advised the community and the IYC that shutting down oil facilities is not the way to go in this age and time, as dialogue remains the most constructive way through every situation, and thanked the community and the IYC for allowing dialogue even in this heat of passion.
Comr. Dr. Doubra made it clear that the IYC and Community are in the meeting because we want peace and that is why he is there himself and the meeting is holding accordingly. It is not because we are scared of anything or anyone. He said he was not pleased with the way some persons acted at the beginning of the meeting like they were trying to intimidate the community and the IYC, he clarified that Ijaws do not know fear and we are no strangers to violence, even though the oil resources abound in our homestead, everything we have achieved or gotten from the Nigerian state has been through agitations and violence and we have resolved never to follow that rout, but in the interest of peace, the Alakiri Community and the IYC have availed themselves for this dialogue.
The President further pointed out that Niger Deltans are not blind or oblivious of the fact that indigenes of other parts of the country are doing what they like with the resources found in their areas, particularly the lithium and gold mining freely going on the north without any sanction from the Nigerian Government, it is only in the Niger Delta that our oil belongs to everyone.
The President concluded his remarks by saying that Ijaw people are not stopping the companies from doing their work nor do we intend to stop them from getting their benefits, but that everything must be done with the safety of the people in mind. For instance there is crude oil loading going on right on the Alakiri community waterfront with no recourse to the safety of the local population or the environment, a situation the IYC has vowed never to allow anywhere in Ijaw land, going forward.
The meeting concluded with a decision for the NNPCL/NUPRC/NOSDRA Joint Technical Committee to reconvene in three(3)weeks time to agree on the best approach to adopt, so that a timeline may be given for the fire to be put out and the gas leak stopped.
Signed.
Comr. Victor Ibanigo
National Spokesman
