Communities in Nigeria’s oil-rich Bayelsa State say they are still living with the effects of gas flaring, blaming decades of pollution for harming their health and damaging fishing and farming livelihoods.
This story is written and edited by Global South World
Footage from Gbarantoru in the Ekpetiama Kingdom shows gas burning continuously near homes as residents carry on with daily life close to the flare.
The dispute follows a legal battle between the community and British energy giant Shell over its exit from Nigeria’s onshore oil sector and alleged environmental damage in the region.
“Sometimes, it comes like hell’s fire itself,” said Bubaraye Dakolo, monarch of the kingdom, describing how wind spreads pollution from the flare.
Dakolo criticised a July ruling by the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, which dismissed his lawsuit seeking environmental remediation and compensation for more than 40 years of alleged damage. He has since appealed.
Shell has rejected claims that its operations are chiefly responsible for pollution in the Niger Delta, pointing to oil theft, pipeline sabotage and illegal refining as major causes. The company says it cleans up spills from its facilities regardless of cause.
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