▁ 2 0 - 2 5 ▁miles ▁( 3 2 - 4 0 ▁km ) ▁off sh ore ▁which ▁fe eds ▁the ▁Qu a ▁I bo e ▁oil ▁export ▁terminal . ▁Ex x on ▁M obil ▁declared ▁force ▁ma je ure ▁on ▁Qu a ▁I bo e ▁oil ▁ship ments ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁pipeline ▁damage . ▁The ▁leak age ▁in ▁the ▁Qu a ▁I bo e ▁oil ▁field ▁dis charg ed ▁about ▁ 2 3 2 ▁bar rel s ▁of ▁cru de ▁into ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean ▁cont amin ating ▁the ▁waters ▁and ▁coast al ▁settlement s ▁in ▁the ▁pre domin antly ▁fish ing ▁communities ▁along ▁Ak wa ▁Ib om ▁and ▁Cross ▁River . ▁ ▁Effect s ▁Many ▁loc als ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁att est ▁to ▁environmental ▁damage ▁that ▁alleg edly ▁developed ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁leak . ▁Past ▁oil ▁sp ills ▁in ▁the ▁delta ' s ▁cre eks ▁have ▁been ▁left ▁to ▁f ester ▁for ▁dec ades , ▁poll uting ▁the ▁air , ▁soil , ▁and ▁water ▁of ▁imp over ished ▁communities . ▁Niger ia ▁sees ▁its ▁future ▁output ▁growth ▁largely ▁in ▁off sh ore ▁fields ▁and ▁does ▁not ▁want ▁sp ills ▁there ▁to ▁comp ound ▁its ▁environmental ▁wo es . ▁Check s ▁by ▁Sah ara ▁Re por ters ▁revealed ▁that ▁the ▁fish erm en ▁reported ly ▁ha u led ▁in ▁fish ▁killed ▁in ▁the ▁Ex x on M obil ’ s ▁oil ▁sp ill ▁in ▁a ▁location ▁about ▁ 2 0 ▁kilom eters ▁from ▁the ▁sh or eline ▁and ▁supplied ▁the