Residents of Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State, were thrown into panic mode following what has now been discovered to be an intense gas flare from Seplat Energy Plc’s operations at the Qua Iboe Export Terminal (QIT).
According to reports, the gas flare caused unusual heat in the community, with thick smoke taking over the whole area.
According to eyewitness reports, the flare was far more severe than the community has ever experienced, raising fresh concerns over environmental degradation, health risks, and the worsening impact of gas flaring on local livelihoods.
A report by Sweet Crude Report quoted Ms. Helen Bassey Eyo of the Network Advancement Program for Poverty and Disaster Risk Reduction (NAPPDRR), describing the incident as an overwhelming intensity of the flare.
Eyo, who witnessed the event firsthand, recounted thus: “The security was very tight; they refused to allow us to take photos of the flare, but standing from a distance, we could still feel the heat—it was intense, more than anything we have seen before.”
Sweet Crude Report stated that Eyo noted that Seplat, much like ExxonMobil, has been flaring gas in Ibeno for years, but Tuesday’s event was unprecedented. “This is the first time we’re witnessing such an intense flare in Ibeno,” she added.
Eyo warned that the unchecked emissions pose serious threats to public health and the ecosystem.
“Seplat should be warned over this gas flaring because it is affecting the environment. The temperature in Ibeno was unusually high today because of this. It is not just about heat; it is about environmental degradation. It is affecting fertility among men and women in Ibeno. It is destroying our rivers, contaminating our drinking water, and making life unbearable.”
With Tuesday’s intensified flaring incident in Ibeno, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria, has demanded urgent action from both the government and regulatory bodies to hold Seplat accountable.
Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, insisted that immediate intervention is necessary to prevent further environmental damage and protect the well-being of the people of Ibeno.
Gas flaring, a long-standing issue in Nigeria’s oil-producing regions, has been linked to air and water pollution, acid rain, respiratory diseases, and declining fish populations.
Despite government regulations and global commitments to cut emissions, oil companies operating in the Niger Delta continue to flare gas at alarming rates.
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