Nigeria: Petroleum, Pollution and Poverty in the Niger Delta – Report

On August 28, 2008 a fault in the Trans-Niger pipeline resulted in a significant oil spill into Bodo Creek in Ogoniland. The oil poured into the swamp and creek for weeks, covering the area in a thick slick of oil and killing the fish that people depend on for food and for their livelihood. A local NGO, the Center for Environment, Human Rights and Development(CEHRD), which investigated the case (including by taking video footage of the leak), reported that the oil spill has resulted in death or damage to a number of species of fish that provide the protein needs of the local community. Video footage of the site shows widespread damage, including to mangroves which are an important fish breeding ground.