Nigeria, Sept. 17 -- Residents of Ntafre, a hard-to-reach coastal community in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, have called for urgent cleanup and compensation after suspected crude oil pollution affected their creek and fishing activities.

The demand followed a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to Ntafre Creek on Wednesday, 16 September, five days after officials of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Environment visited the community following a report of an oil spill.

During Wednesday's JIV, participants observed suspected crude oil stains on vegetation, shrubs and mangrove stems around the creek.

PREMIUM TIMES observed dead aquatic organisms, including barna...