An ExxonMobil terminal on the Quo Iboe River in Akwa Ibom State has been occupied by protestors complaining at the oil company's failure to carry out environmental remediation work and pay compensation to local communities promised after a series of spills in the area. The occupation, which began on Sunday 6 July 2014, was reportedly triggered by an incident on Thursday 3 July in which a storage tank at the facility was struck by lightning, resulting in a fire and oil flowing into the river.
The approximate location of the ExxonMobil terminal on the Quo Iboe River. Google Maps.
The dispute began on 13 August 2012, when a major spill at the site covered about 35 km on shoreline, which ExxonMobil reportedly originally denied and then promised to clean up and pay compensation to local communities. Community leaders in the area have complained that only a minimal effort was made to deal with the spill, and no compensation was ever paid. A number of smaller spills have been reported since this initial incident, but local communities report having received no compensation from ExxonMobil.
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