A group, Greenshield Foundation for Ecosystem Restoration and Wildlife Conservation, has called on the Rivers State Government, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, and other authorities to immediately investigate the pipeline explosion in Aleto community, Eleme Local Government Council.

Besides, the group is deeply concerned about the reports of the pipeline explosion in Aleto Community, calling for remote and immediate cause of the explosion and the circumstances surrounding the incident on Thursday, 15th October 2026. The oil pipeline belongs to SPDC, erupted with gas and visibly oozing out from the affected area.

Its Executive Director, Muekara Monday, in a statement made available to The Guardian in Abuja, stated that the environment has been severely impacted, while volunteers have been mobilized to the site for firsthand observations of the incident that has left several people severely injured and caused damage to buildings in the area.

“As of the time of filing this report, we have not independently confirmed any fatality, and the total number of affected persons has not yet been established. We are therefore calling on the Rivers State Government, NNPCL, NOSDRA, and other relevant agencies to immediately investigate the incident.”

According to the statement, an environmental impact assessment should be conducted to know the extent of damage caused and possible contamination of the soil, water and ecosystem and the level of damage this incident caused to homes, properties, livelihoods and the environment.

Monday maintained, total number of people affected, injured or displaced by the incident and how to attend to them responsibly, and we would not allow this pipeline explosion to be treated as another statistic, especially at a time when the Federal Government is currently pressing hard to resume oil exploration activities in Ogoni.

“We are particularly concerned because the federal government has shown a single-minded pursuit of oil exploration in Ogoni and the Niger Delta, where communities continue to bear the consequences and people whose lives and livelihoods depend on these environments often suffer collateral damage.”

The statement therefore called on the government to prioritize Ogoni Cleanup first before any talk about resumption of oil exploration in the same contaminated environment, saying it is necessary for people of Aleto and other communities to know exactly what happened, why it happened, who is responsible, the damage caused, and what must be done to prevent future occurrences.

“Greenshield Foundation will continue to monitor developments and engage with the community and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the rights of the people are not neglected.”