Monarch Absolves Nembe E&P Over Fatal Community Dispute in Bayelsa

• Company rejects implication by Bayelsa govt, demands retraction •Land inspection not connected with incident, Ikei Ama community insists The Amanyanabo of Dieama-Okpoama, His Royal Highness, Ingo Ikele Ikaba, has absolved Nembe Exploration & Production Company Limited of any blame in the communal clash at the Ikei/Dieama axis of Brass Island, Bayelsa State, which resulted in the death of one Mr. Alfred Ojoko. Also, the oil company has formally rejected its implication in the incident by the Bayelsa state government and has therefore demanded an immediate retraction of a statement credited to the government. Similarly, lawyers to Ikei Ama community, the alleged second party in the dispute, have disclaimed any link to the October 19 violence, stressing that a land inspection carried out earlier had nothing to do with the eventual violence which led to the fatality. In a statement, the Amanyanabo of Dieama-Okpoama, who described the deceased Ojoko, also known as ‘heavyweight’ as his brother and personal assistant, said attempts to link the land acquisition/lease process being undertaken by Nembe to the death were inaccurate. According to him, the land acquisition/lease process commenced early last year and had been progressing without major incident, with both Dieama and Ikei communities cooperating to facilitate development. He disclosed that all visits by the company to the area have been without incident, noting that there was the need to distinguish the land process from the circumstances that led to his brother’s death. Instead, he pointed to the longstanding tensions in the community over black sand mining and unresolved land-boundary disputes. He stated that this has nothing to do with the oil company. “I wish to state unequivocally that this narrative does not reflect the circumstances as I understand them. For the avoidance of doubt, the land acquisition/lease process commenced early last year and, until the events in question, had been progressing without any major incident. “Both the Dieama and Ikei communities had been cooperating in good faith with a common objective of facilitating the process and creating opportunities for meaningful development within our communities. It is also pertinent to note that the company had undertaken two previous visits to the area without any reported incident,” the monarch explained. He urged the public to refrain from promoting unsubstantiated narratives that could misrepresent the facts, unfairly implicate the company, or further inflame tensions. “In view of the foregoing, I consider it necessary to correct any attempt to attribute the death of my late brother and personal assistant to the land acquisition/lease process being undertaken by Nembe Crude Oil Export Terminal Limited (NCOETL) without a proper factual basis,” he said. Also, Nembe E&P has rejected its implication in the incident by the Bayelsa state government and demanded an immediate retraction. The government had directed the company to suspend all land acquisition activities and processes in the area, following the incident. In a statement, the company said the directive by the Bayelsa government portrayed it as an actor in the incident and has occasioned reputational damage of indescribable proportion. While extending condolences to the bereaved family, Nembe E&P insisted that it did not cause, instigate or participate in the incident. It stated that whereas the state government has identified no act or omission by Nembe that may have even remotely contributed to or engendered the confrontation, a site visit aimed at a possible land acquisition through a proposal presented to by a third party did not even have a representative of the oil firm. The company said its inquiries indicated that the dispute concerned opposition to black sand mining activities attributed to a company known as Starant Mining Limited, further compounded by unresolved disagreements over community leadership and control of resources. Nembe also challenged what it described as a “blanket and indefinite suspension” of its land acquisition activities, noting that the government announcement identified no breach, specified no duration or review mechanism and set out no statutory basis. “Whereas the state government has identified no act or omission by Nembe that may have even remotely contributed to or engendered the confrontation, Nembe hereby states unequivocally that our only involvement with the site visit/negotiation aimed at a possible land acquisition was through a proposal presented to us by a third party, with which we have some other ongoing transactions, and that indeed,we had no representation on the team. “Furthermore, we can confirm that the visit was incident-free! Our subsequent inquiries indicate that the dispute concerned opposition to black sand mining activities attributed to a company known as Starant Mining Limited, compounded by unresolved disagreements over community leadership and control of resources,” it added. Nembe E&P argued that the government cannot reasonably disregard its own prior intervention in the reported mining dispute while leaving unexplained its decision to associate the company with the resulting crisis. “This is not the first occasion on which the state government has associated our company with an incident disconnected from its operations. An earlier allegation concerned an incident more than 200 kilometres from our acreage. The recurrence requires an explanation. “The government should disclose the evidence underlying these associations and explain why Nembe continues to be drawn into incidents for which no connection to its operations has been established. We cannot be expected to accept repeated public statements that prejudice our reputation while leaving their factual foundation undisclosed,” it stressed. According to the firm, the seriousness of a community crisis does not relieve the government of the obligation to justify singling out a company for adverse action even if it has such general powers. It lamented that a unsupported official association with fatal violence, amplified through national and international reporting, can undermine confidence, disrupt commercial relationships and prejudice substantial public and private interests. “The government should recognise the gravity of those consequences. Accordingly, we hereby demand that the Bayelsa state government unequivocally retract its announcement immediately, while we continue to reserve all our legal rights to protect our hard-earned reputation and pecuniary interests. “The retraction and withdrawal must be communicated publicly with prominence and circulation commensurate with the said injurious publication,” it pointed out. Similarly, solicitors to the Amanyanabo of Ikei Ama, Okpoama Kingdom, HRH Ebi Spencer-Tekenah, the Tiefienyo Furo Family and the people of Ikei Ama, have disclaimed any link to the violence. In a disclaimer, the lawyers said reports seeking to link their clients to the incident were false. “For the avoidance of doubt, our clients categorically disclaim any involvement in, connection with, nor responsibility for the said incident,” the document signed by Chief Eric Tekena-Ayeba Tonye of TEE Legal said. It stated that the land inspection exercise conducted earlier by members of the Tiefienyo Furo family and representatives of an indigenous oil exploration company was peaceful and had concluded several hours before the incident. “No credible factual basis has been established linking that exercise to the incident,” it said. The solicitors said available preliminary information concerning alleged illegal black sand mining activities in the affected axis warranted proper investigation, and called on the public and media to desist from publishing unverified allegations. “Our clients unequivocally condemn the loss of life and every act of violence. They support a thorough, impartial and professional investigation by the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant authorities,” the statement added.