Two persons have been feared dead following disagreement over alleged sharing formula of a proposed exploration of crude oil from an existing oil well by the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Aboh in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State.
The Nation learnt that the community’s leadership had in preparation for future engagements, claims and entitlements, come up with a sharing formula.
It was gathered that the proposed formula gave the largest kingdom the lion’s share and the immediate host family a lesser share.
An indigene, Mr. Tony Osborg, said the host family “rejected the proposal and insisted that they are entitled to keeping 60 per cent, as was the precedent on a recent negotiation during the Nextoil/NNPC OB3 Pipeline project.
“While the Community Development Committee (CDC) and the Palace and Chiefs in Council insisted that no further activity be carried out by the exploration company until all disagreements are resolved, some youths invited the company to begin activities, insisting that all grievances have 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. Gunshots were heard and machetes were used to attack people. Two people were killed.
“Despite efforts by the elite to invite the military to forestall further attacks and counter-attacks, the community has remained vulnerable, with no security presence.”
The 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 attributed the crisis to 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 before the company can do anything in their land, it must come directly to them. On three occasions that the company came to the land, the family drove them away.”
Police Commissioner Mr. Adeleke Adeyinka confirmed that the community is in crisis over issues relating to oil exploration.
He said he was not aware that there was loss of lives, adding that the police were on ground to restore peace to the community.
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