Tension is mounting in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State over a planned exercise by Halliburton to destroy expired explosives in Kpoghor Community.
The Rivers State Police Command announced on Tuesday that it had approved the company’s request to carry out the destruction exercise beginning Wednesday.
However, several civil society organisations in the Niger Delta have called for the immediate suspension of the operation, warning that it poses serious risks to human lives and the environment.
Addressing journalists during a joint press conference in Port Harcourt, the Team Lead of the Miideekor Environmental Development Initiative, Dr. Celestine Akpobari, criticised the police for approving the exercise without adequate consultation with members of the host community.
He called for the immediate suspension of the planned destruction, the publication of all environmental and health safety assessments, independent monitoring by relevant regulatory agencies and environmental experts, and a thorough investigation into the approval process.
Also speaking, the Coordinator of the Pilex Centre for Civic Education Initiative, Courage Nsirimovu, warned that residents of Kpoghor Community could be exposed to hazardous contaminants capable of causing respiratory illnesses and other health complications.
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