Yenagoa – Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), an NGO, on Tuesday urged Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to halt ongoing spill at Kalaba community in Yenagoa.

The call is contained in a field report on the oil spill incident obtained by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa.

ERA/FoEN further urged Agip to immediately clean up the site to forestall further damage to the environment.

According to the report signed by Mr Alagoa Morris, Head of Field Operations in ERA/FoEN’s Bayelsa Office, the oil spill incident occurred on July 2.

It expressed regret that the spill had continued unabated and had wreaked havoc on the fragile ecosystem.

The report quoted Samuel Oburo, a youth leader in the community as saying that officials of oil company had been informed of the development.

“This spill occurred on the 2nd of July, 2014 and we have yet to see Agip.

“I informed some known environmental groups like ERA working with us that there is a fresh oil spill. I later reached out to one Clinton of Agip who used to come for JIV; to also let the company know about the spill.

“I urged him to formally pass the information to Agip so as to prompt immediate action for JIV and clamping of the spill point.

“The crude oil is spewing and spreading in the environment and it is sad that such should continue to occur in this environment,” Oburo said.

The report also quoted the Paramount Ruler of Kalaba community, Chief Roman Orukali, as stressing the need to engage in environmentally friendly and sustainable standards.

ERA/FoEN advised oil communities to effectively engage themselves and explore ways of ensuring that they do not encourage self-inflicted environmental damages by discouraging vandalism.

The NGO also urged the oil company and the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to convene a Joint Investigation Visit to unravel the cause of the spill.