The Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria (ARFAN) in the Niger Delta has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to step in and ensure the release of compensation reportedly tied to the 2011 Bonga oil spill involving Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo).
The group urged the President to liaise with relevant agencies to enable the disbursement of the reported $3.6 billion penalty, stressing the need for transparency in how the funds are managed and for direct support to the impacted communities.
In a petition jointly signed by representatives from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Ondo, and Rivers States, the fishermen highlighted the devastating environmental and economic consequences of the spill, particularly the destruction of livelihoods in the fishing sector.
The letter, addressed to President Tinubu and copied to key government officials—including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, NOSDRA DG Chukwuemeka Woke, CBN Governor Yemi Cardoso, and NSA Nuhu Ribadu—underscored the urgency of the matter.
The spill, which occurred in 2011 due to equipment failure at Shell’s Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit, reportedly discharged about 40,000 barrels of crude oil into the Atlantic Ocean, causing severe damage to marine life and disrupting fishing activities across several Niger Delta states.
The association urged the federal government to ensure fairness in addressing the compensation process and to extend support to communities in line with national development priorities.
Reaffirming their trust in President Tinubu’s leadership, they expressed optimism that his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda would bring justice and relief to the affected coastal communities.
