ExxonMobil denies oil leak from Akwa Ibom plant.

Udeagha said in a statement in Eket on Tuesday that no official report has identified the company's plant as a possible source of an oil leak. The communications manager was reacting to a protest by youths of Ibeno Local Government Area on Monday who alleged a massive oil leak from an ExxonMobil plant.

He said: “No oil has leaked from any of our plants. We are not the only operator in the region.

“A government agency’s preliminary inspection report on the alleged incident did not identify any of our facilities as a possible source.

“Protecting the environment and the communities in which we operate remains a top priority in our activities,” said Udeagha.

It may be recalled that youths from Ibeno Local Government Area took to the streets on Monday to protest against the alleged oil spill in the area. Paul Essieta community leader told reporters that an oil leak at an ExxonMobil facility had polluted the community's livelihood.

“We are angry because an oil spill at an ExxonMobil facility has polluted our farmland and rivers.

“Since the oil spill began about a week ago, agriculture and fishing have come to a standstill,” he added.

He called on the company to take responsibility and start negotiations with the population to ensure immediate containment and remediation.