The people of Egebekiri community in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on Thursday protested against neglect by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) at the oil firm’s fields in the area.

The residents took their protest to the Obama flow station operated by the company, disrupting production in oil wells 5, 7, 9 and 12.

Chief Karibi MacDonald, Community Leader in Egebekiri community, said they were tired of writing letters to official quarters seeking intervention without any positive response.

MacDonald said that the protest was because the company has not paid them any form of royalties or related fees due to them since it started oil exploration in the community over 40 years ago.

The community leader maintained that a Supreme Court judgment of July 13, 2007 had confirmed them as the legal owners of the land area hosting the oilfields.

He regretted that NAOC has continued to give their rights and benefits to some persons in neighbouring communities.

“It is 10 years now since that Supreme Court ruling, and yet, NAOC is yet to show that they honour the ruling of the Supreme Court. They are yet to recognise and deal with us as landlord of the environment where the company has continued to extract crude oil from four oil wells in their Obama oilfield,” MacDonald said.

Chief Egbe John, one of the protesters, said: “And today, we are saying we are tired after writing over 30 letters to various departments including, the Bayelsa State Governor, his special advisers on oil and gas and security.

“We have also written to headquarters and sector commands of the Joint Task Force, Commander, Central Naval Command. Where have we not written to? Even up to Milan, the head office of Eni.”

Also speaking, Mrs Ofabara. Egebe, a daughter of the founder of the community, noted that the community could no longer endure the neglect as they have nothing to show for being an oil-producing community.

According to her, “The only little compensation made by Agip then was for destruction of economic trees (by Agip) of which we still have receipt of that payment. Nothing more has been given to our community by way of contracts or royalties as landlord hosting four oil wells operated by Agip.

“We are tired of the suffering and injustices meted against us by Agip; that is why we decided to protest against the injustice today.”

When contacted for reaction on the disruption of oil production at the oilfield, Major Abubakar Abdullahi Spokesman for the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, said the military has since restored normalcy to the area.

“Well, our mandate is clear and that is to protect oil and gas infrastructure. If any community has issue against any company, let them resolve it legally. JTF will not take any threats to its mandate. We handle it professionally within our rules of engagement,” the JTF Spokesman said.

Mr Fillippo Cotalini, Media Relations Manager at Eni, parent company of NAOC, declined to comment on the development

Update news