Environmental and public health experts have warned that living around illegal oil bunkering and mining sites heightens the risks of certain diseases like anaemia, liver diseases, and lung cancer.
Additionally, they emphasised that living organisms such as plants and animals in these areas are susceptible to low reproduction rates and deformities.
The experts further highlighted that the air, water, and land quality in such locations has been compromised by heavy metal contamination, which poses significant health hazards.
According to Human Rights Watch, illegal oil bunkering entails the theft of crude oil and its derivatives.
This activity, based on reports is rampant in the Niger Delta Region and dates back to around 20 years ago amidst agitation against major oil companies.
Recent reports by The According showed that from 2015 to 2023, approximately 5,840 illegal refineries were discovered in the Niger Delta region, with over 50 wells uncovered by the Nigerian military since the beginning of the year, most of which were subsequently set ablaze.
The impact of oil theft is not lost on the economy, as a study by Silas Anyio titled, ‘Illegal Oil Bunkering and Oil Theft in Nigeria: Impact on the National Economy and the Way Forward’, reveals that Nigeria loses about N1.29 trillion yearly to industrial-scale theft of crude oil.
This loss has resulted in the withdrawal of foreign investors and companies, environmental degradation, and an increase in the acquisition of light arms and ammunition, among other consequences.
Despite calls by environmentalists to halt the burning of seized oil vessels and refineries, the military maintains that such is standard operating procedure until newer protocols are introduced.
However, medical and environmental experts warn that this practice poses significant health risks to humans, animals, and plants in affected areas.
Furthermore, these actions contradict the Climate Change Act 2021, which aims to eliminate gas flaring and reduce emissions by 30 per cent by 2030.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba was quoted as saying, “There are Standard Operating Procedures concerning arrested vehicles, equipment, and vessels, among others that are associated with oil theft. That procedure stipulates that such equipment, vehicles, or vessels should be destroyed instantly.
“In the military, we work with instructions. Whatever instructions we get, we operate with it. If it is reviewed, we will operate with it. We do not make the laws; we work with the law given to us.”
Despite these explanations, medical and environmental experts insist this poses a far greater danger to the environment and the ecosystem.
Speaking on the matter, a professor of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Pollution at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Olayinka Adewoye, asserted that the oil spills resulting from illegal bunkering activities not only contaminate the soil and water but also disrupt the delicate balance of ecosystems.
He highlighted that the affected areas experience a decline in species diversity, as only those organisms capable of withstanding the adverse conditions will persist.
Moreover, the don noted that the reproductive capabilities of these surviving species are significantly reduced, leading to a decline in population numbers and profound implications for both human health and the environment.
“It would affect the flora and fauna of the soil and water. Each time we have oil spills, it affects the soil and the soil will not be good for anything again. It is also going to reduce the species diversity of the fauna in that area, leaving only species that could withstand the unfavourable conditions to remain.
“The situation will reduce the reproduction rate of such species. For example, species that are supposed to be reproducing in 100s will now be reproducing in 10s. This will affect both diversity and abundance,” he said.
“It will also affect water quality – that is the physio-chemical characteristics of the water. Once this is affected, the chemistry of the water will be affected, the water will be outgrown by water weeds and as a result, it would cover the surface of the water and then affect the dissolution of oxygen into the water,” Adewoye explained.
The don warned that the continued occurrence of oil spillage would have far-reaching consequences for aquatic organisms.
He noted that these organisms would bio-accumulate heavy metals present in the water, which would then be passed on to humans through the consumption of edible plants and animals from the affected areas, consequently posing a significant health risk to individuals living in these communities.
Regarding the military’s standard operating procedure of burning illegal bunkering sites, Adewoye highlighted the double jeopardy created by this approach, noting that it not only fails to address the root cause of the problem but also exacerbates environmental degradation and health risks for local populations.
“In the course of burning that crude oil, it will form a polar solid, in the sense that it can’t be dissolved. This will then enter into the soil and water. The ones that enter into the soil will years after, form what is called leachate. Leachate can travel for a long distance, more than 500 meters away. This means that people living more than 500 meters away from the burnt oil bunkers would be affected by the leachate.
“Generally, it would affect the groundwater in such environments, implying that their hand-dug wells and boreholes would be affected. The oils that have been burnt would seep into the water and form polar solvents and when they get into the water, sink into the sediments and inside that sediment, nothing can change it or wash it away. Indirectly, they become pollutants of the water and during the dry season, would bio-concentrate but when it rains, would be washed downstream and pollute the waters around it.
“This means that we are gradually killing the soil in our immediate environment and water. The organisms in the oil and water are equally affected,” the environmentalist stated.
Although the don condemned the activities of oil bunkers, he recommended the adoption of alternative strategies to address illegal oil bunkering.
The professor of environmental toxicology urged the military to collaborate with environmental biologists to develop safer methods for dismantling and neutralising these sites.
“For the military, that is not the best way out of checkmating the activities of the oil bunkers. The military can collaborate with scientists to one, collect the oil, and two, bio-remediate the environment, not chemically but biologically, so that the soil and water of such environment would not be affected, while at the same time ensuring that the oil bunkers are arrested.
“Burning oil bunking sites affect the ozone layer and this contributes to climate change. The ozone layer is now clouded and even for rain to fall has become a major challenge. This is as a result of the gas flaring activities by people that don’t know the danger of such,” Adewoye lamented.
Also, a Public Health Physician at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Dr Ekaete Tobin, said people living, working and farming around illegal oil mining sites are at risk of having skin irritation and rashes, teary and itchy eyes, headaches, fatigue and dizziness in the short term.
The doctor emphasised that anaemia, liver problems and lung cancer are the potential long-term consequences of exposure to heavy metals found in illegal oil bunkering sites.
She added, “Aside from the upper respiratory tract symptoms, they are at risk of chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Their mental health status is not exempted as they have a lot of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress syndrome.
“They also suffer from reproductive health challenges and a lot of them are at an increased risk of skin cancer. Vulnerable people like children, elderly, and pregnant women are mostly affected by these exposures.”
She emphasised the urgent need for government intervention to address the health risks faced by individuals living near these sites.
While acknowledging that resettlement may not be a feasible option, the public health physician urged the government to prioritise the establishment of robust healthcare systems to mitigate the adverse health effects of such activities.
Additionally, she advocated for intensified efforts to curb illegal mining activities and implement measures for the gradual restoration and rehabilitation of affected lands.
Furthermore, Tobin criticised the practice of burning illegal sites, highlighting its detrimental impact on the already degraded land.
She emphasised the importance of adopting alternative approaches that prioritize environmental preservation and minimize further damage to the ecosystem.
“By setting the site ablaze, they further pollute the air and water. So, instead of setting the sites ablaze, it is better to cordon them off with the help of the locals because the locals are the ones who know where the sites are. After cordoning off the area, they (the military) can recover the equipment used on the site and the products from the refining sites are properly taken and disposed of.
“They need to work with the community to ensure surveillance and ensure that such activities happen. That is far better than setting the sites ablaze and worsening the already bad health state of the people and polluting the air, water and land,” the public health physician said.
