Bayelsa community threatens Shell

Indigenes of Letugbene community in Ekeremor, Bayelsa State, have threatened to disrupt the operations of Shell Petroleum Development Company if the multinational oil firm fails to accord them ownership recognition of the Tunu Flow station.


The community issued a 14-day ultimatum to Shell to accede to their demand.

The threat was issued in a statement on Friday by Mr. Jonah Toikiri and Mr. Job Azosibe, chairman and secretary of the community, respectively.

They expressed disaffection with the continued violation of court judgments, which accorded them ownership status of the flow station since 2012.

While calling for total compliance with the judgments in the interest of peace, they said if Shell fails to act on the ultimatum, it should be prepared to vacate their land.

The statement reads in part, “It would be recalled that on July 30, 2012, the Bayelsa State High Court, sitting in Yenagoa and presided over by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Kate Abiri, entered judgment in favour of the Letugbene community against SPDC and others in the suit No; YHC/31/1994.

“The court declared Letugbene community as owners of all the lands and areas bordering the Tunu Flow Station location operated by SPDC after more than 18 years of trial.

“The appeal filed by SPDC at the court of Appeal, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was however dismissed for want of prosecution on June 11, 2013, sequel to the community motion filed by its counsel, Nnamdi Ugwuka, with motion No; CA/PH/297m/2013, at the same Appeal court in Port Harcourt.”

The community claimed that since the judgments were delivered, all efforts made by them through letters and other correspondences to reach out to SPDC to accept the verdict of the courts and recognise Letugbene as the host to the flow station proved abortive.

When contacted, spokesman for Shell, Mr. Joseph Obari, said the company had received the community’s letter.

“We are working on the community’s letter. Once our response is ready, we will pass it to the press,” Obari said on the telephone on Friday.