Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) has confirmed that the recent oil spill in the Imiringi community of Bayelsa State was the result of sabotage by oil thieves.

The spill, which occurred on July 27, prompted a statutory Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) to ascertain the cause and extent of the damage.

The Media Relations Manager of SPDC, Bamidele Odugbesan, disclosed in a statement on Wednesday in Yenagoa saying that the spill, originating from SPDC's Kolo Creek Well 22T flowline, resulted in the release of three barrels of Bonny Light crude into the environment.

Odugbesan assured that the entire volume of spilled oil had been recovered although some residue still remained in the community.

"SPDC, operator of the SPDC JV, acknowledges the occurrence of an oil spill from its Kolo Creek Well 22T flowline facility at Imiringi on July 27.

"The report of the joint investigation of the incident led by the Government Regulator, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), found that the incident was caused by illegal third-party activity," the statement read.

Contrary to concerns raised by residents of Imiringi community about pollution affecting farmlands and water bodies, SPDC stressed that cleanup, remediation and repair efforts were actively underway.

The JIV, a process mandated by law following any reported oil spill, concluded on July 30 with all parties, including representatives from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment, the affected community, and SPDC, unanimously agreeing on the cause of the spill.

The final report was signed by all members of the investigation team.

Environmental advocacy group Environmental Defenders Network has also weighed in, urging prompt action to contain and remediate the spill to prevent further environmental damage.

Deputy Director of the group, Lagos Morris, visited the spill site and called on relevant authorities to expedite cleanup efforts, especially given the ongoing rainy season.

Morris urged all stakeholders to work towards preventing third-party spills and called that "perpetrators of this sabotage must be identified and prosecuted to deter future occurrences."

As repairs on the breached pipeline continue, SPDC reaffirmed its commitment to restoring the affected area and preventing future incidents through enhanced security and community engagement.