Nigeria, Feb. 15 -- A fresh oil spill has been reported at the Freetown community in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, South-south Nigeria, after a section of the Trans Niger Pipeline reportedly ruptured late Friday night, discharging crude into surrounding mangrove swamps.

Community sources told PREMIUM TIMES that they woke up to see the spill in the early hours of Saturday, 14 February. They said the spill has continued to spread through tidal channels into adjoining water bodies.

Residents identified the facility as the Trans Niger Pipeline, formerly operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company, and now under the control of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, which recently acquired Shell's onshore assets in Nig...