Abigborodo and Obotie communities in Warri North Local Government Area and Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State took to the creeks on Thursday to stage a protest against Seplat Energy PLC, accusing the oil company of illegally encroaching on their ancestral land.
The protesters, armed with banners bearing inscriptions such as “Seplat, Stop Your Oppression”, “Not Until You Recognize Us, No Work”, and “Stop Oppressing Us, Seplat”, paddled through the waterways in boats, chanting war songs and calling on the state and federal governments to intervene.
Their respective leaders led the protest, which saw a massive turnout of men, women, and youths from both communities. The communities are demanding that Seplat Energy recognize them as host communities under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) provisions and cease operations in the area until their grievances are addressed.
Speaking at the protest site, Hon. Misan Ukubehinje, Chairman of the Abigborodo Management Committee, decried Seplat’s disregard for the communities’ rights and their failure to adhere to the provisions of the PIA. He explained that the Act mandates oil companies operating within a five-kilometre radius of any community to recognize such communities as hosts and extend benefits to them.
“This protest is a way for us to express our grievances. We have repeatedly complained to Seplat Energy PLC. Abigborodo is a host community, and the ownership of this land has belonged to our people for generations,” Ukubehinje said.
“Seplat is operating here without considering us or the people of Obotie. They have moved their operations dangerously close to our land—about two kilometres from here—and now they want to commence drilling activities, including clearing and dredging. Such actions will destroy our waterways and aquatic life, which our communities depend on for survival.”
Ukubehinje further accused Seplat of ignoring the investigative findings of a team comprising officials from the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Oil and Gas, and other government agencies. “The team visited our community and observed the situation firsthand, but since then, we have heard nothing. Meanwhile, Seplat has gone ahead to mobilize their equipment to the site, infringing on our rights,” he added.
He reiterated the communities’ position that they would not back down until they are formally recognized as host communities, as stipulated by the PIA.
“We are peace-loving people and do not want to resort to violence. That is why we are here occupying this area in peaceful protest. This is not a one-day event. We are prepared to stay here indefinitely, cooking and camping, until our demands are met.”
The Youth President of Abigborodo, Great Kpenosen, echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing that the protest was a last resort after all negotiations with Seplat failed.
“We have been marginalized by Seplat,” he stated.
“This land belongs to our community, and we have tried to engage them in discussions, but they refused to listen. That is why we are here to stop their operations. If they don’t meet with us for a proper roundtable discussion, we will shut down their activities for weeks.”
Similarly, the Youth President of Obotie, Oyewumi Victor, accused Seplat of refusing to acknowledge the rightful ownership of the land. “We wrote to them, invited them for discussions, and even involved the DSS and the Joint Task Force, but nothing came out of it. We are here today to peacefully demand recognition. If they fail to do so, their work will not continue,” he said.
The protest also saw women leaders from both communities lending their voices to the cause. Mrs. Patience Ologho, Women Leader of Abigborodo, lamented that Seplat had ignored the community’s demands for compensation and recognition. “We are mothers, and we know how this affects our people. If Seplat had listened to us, we wouldn’t be here today. We demand what is rightfully ours,” she said.
Mrs. Julie Ayone, Women Leader of Obotie, added, “Our community is less than three kilometres away from the site, yet Seplat refuses to recognize us as a host community. We have been writing letters for six months with no response. This is why we are here today to stop their operations peacefully.”
The protesters called on the Delta State Government and the Federal Government to intervene in the matter, accusing Seplat of flouting laws and ignoring the voices of the people.
The Youth Secretary of Obotie, Eyitoto Oritse, alleged that Seplat had repeatedly failed to honour invitations from the Ministry of Oil and Gas and other government bodies for dialogue. “They promised to form a committee to address our concerns, but they never showed up. Now, they are proceeding with operations as if we don’t exist. This is unacceptable,” Oritse said.
The Secretary of the Abigborodo Community, Victor Atsephnuo, vowed that the protest would continue until Seplat met the communities’ demands.
“This is our land, and the PIA recognizes us as host communities. We have written to the governor and other authorities, but Seplat has refused to listen. We won’t allow them to work here until they do the needful,” he declared.
Atsephnuo also warned that the communities were prepared to escalate the protest if necessary. “We are ready to spend our own money to sustain this demonstration. We will not leave until Seplat recognizes both Abigborodo and Obotie as host communities and fulfils its obligations under the law.”
Responding, Sapele Base Manager of Seplat, Mr Kingsley Udebor, who said he was aware of the protest, noted that the protesters had written a petition to the Ministry of Oil and Gas and they had appeared before the body, though the people behind the petition did not come.
The company, he said, will respond at the appropriate time.
As tensions escalate, the protest has drawn attention to the growing conflict between oil companies and their host communities in the Niger Delta.
For now, the creeks of Warri North remain occupied by determined protesters, their chants echoing a firm demand for justice: “No recognition, no work!”.
