No fewer than two persons have been feared dead following disagreements over alleged sharing formula of a proposed exploration of crude oil from an existing oil well by Nigeria Petroleum Development Company, NPDC in Aboh community, Ndokwa East LGA.
It was gathered the community’s leadership had in preparation for future engagements, claims and entitlements came up with a sharing formula.
The Nation gathered the proposed formula gave the largest kingdom the lion share and the immediate host family a lesser share.
An indigene of the community. Mr Tony Osborg, said the host family “rejected the proposal and insisted that they are entitled to keeping 60% as was the precedent on a recent negotiation during the Nextoil/NNPC OB3 Pipeline project.”
“While the Community Development Committee, CDC, Palace and Chiefs in Council insisted that no further activity be carried out by the exploration company until all disagreements are resolved, some youths went behind to invite the company to commence activities, insisting that all grievances had been resolved.”
“During the attempted entry into the family land hosting the wellhead by the enumerators working for NPDC, fight broke out between the two families. Gun shots and machetes followed and two lives were lost.”
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“Despite efforts by the elites of the community to invite the military to forestall further attacks and counter attacks, the community has remained vulnerable with no feasible security presence.”
Chairman of the CDC and ex- Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Dr. Olise Imegwu said he was aware of the death of one person.
He blamed the crisis on attempts by the host family to create their own community within the community.
According to him: “There is only one Aboh kingdom and now the family is saying that before the company can do anything in their land, it most come directly to them. On three occasions that the company came to the land, the family drove them away.”
Delta Commissioner of Police, Adeleke Adeyinka confirmed that the community is in crisis over issues relating to oil exploration.
He said he was not aware that there was any case of loss of lives, adding that the police had been on ground to restore peace to the community.
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