…says land acquisition process was peaceful, unrelated to death of personal assistant…
The Amadabo of Diema, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, His Royal Highness, Ingo Ikele Ikaba, has exonerated Nembe Exploration and Production Company Limited from any complicity in the communal violence that claimed the life of his younger brother and Personal Assistant, Mr. Alfred Ojoko, popularly known as ‘Heavyweight’.
The monarch maintained that the company’s proposed land acquisition and lease process was peaceful and had no connection with the fatal confrontation of October 19, 2026, identifying tensions over black sand mining, unresolved land-boundary disputes and disagreements over community resources as critical issues requiring investigation.
His position comes amid controversy over the Bayelsa State Government’s directive suspending Nembe E&P’s land acquisition activities in the affected area following the incident.
The company has rejected its implication in the violence, demanding an immediate public retraction of the government’s announcement and threatening legal action to protect its reputation and commercial interests.
Similarly, the Amanyanabo of Ikei Ama, Okpoama Kingdom, His Royal Highness, Ebi Spencer-Tekenah, the Tiefienyo Furo family and the people of Ikei Ama have, through their solicitors, disclaimed any involvement in the incident.
In a formal statement, Ikaba, who described the deceased as his brother and personal assistant, said the land acquisition process commenced early last year and had progressed without any major incident, with both Dieama and Ikei communities cooperating to facilitate the proposed development.
He disclosed that Nembe had undertaken two previous visits to the area without any reported incident, insisting that there was no factual basis for attributing his brother’s death to the company’s land acquisition process.
“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 stated.
Ikaba identified black sand mining activities as a major source of tension in the community, explaining that his opposition to the practice was informed by concerns about environmental degradation and its potential consequences for the people’s long-term interests.
“I have consistently opposed this mining activity because of its potential adverse consequences for our environment and the long-term interests of our people,” he said.
He also identified unresolved land-boundary disputes as another source of friction, noting that disagreements within the community had yet to be amicably resolved.
The monarch urged the public to refrain from circulating unsubstantiated accounts capable of misrepresenting the circumstances surrounding his brother’s death, unfairly implicating individuals or organisations and further aggravating tensions.
He called on the relevant authorities to ensure that investigations into the incident were guided by verifiable facts and evidence rather than speculation.
Meanwhile, Nembe E&P has formally challenged the Bayelsa State Government’s decision to associate it with the fatal confrontation and suspend its land acquisition activities, describing the action as unjustified and damaging to its corporate reputation.
While expressing condolences to the bereaved family and affected communities, the company insisted that it neither caused, instigated nor participated in the violence.
It argued that the government had not identified any specific act or omission by the company that contributed to or engendered the confrontation.
Nembe explained that its only involvement in the proposed land acquisition was through a proposal presented by a third party with which it had other ongoing transactions.
It stressed that it had no representative on the team that conducted the site visit and maintained that the exercise was peaceful and concluded without incident.
The company further disclosed that its subsequent inquiries indicated that the underlying dispute concerned opposition to black sand mining activities allegedly attributed to Starant Mining Limited, compounded by unresolved disagreements over community leadership and control of resources.
It consequently questioned the basis for the government’s decision to associate it with the incident, particularly when no evidence of its involvement had been publicly established.
Describing the suspension as a “blanket and indefinite” measure, Nembe faulted the government for failing to identify any breach, specify the duration of the restriction, provide a review mechanism or disclose the statutory basis for the action.
The company also expressed concern over what it described as a recurring pattern of being associated with incidents allegedly disconnected from its operations.
It recalled an earlier allegation linking it to an incident that occurred more than 200 kilometres from its operational acreage, demanding that the government disclose the evidence underlying such associations.
According to the company, the seriousness of a communal crisis does not relieve the government of its responsibility to establish a factual basis before publicly associating a corporate organisation with fatal violence or imposing adverse administrative measures.
It warned that unsupported official allegations, particularly when amplified through national and international media reports, could undermine business confidence, damage commercial relationships and prejudice its legitimate interests.
Consequently, Nembe demanded an immediate and unequivocal retraction of the government’s announcement, insisting that the withdrawal should be communicated publicly with prominence and circulation commensurate with the original statement.
It also reserved its legal rights to protect its reputation, business operations and financial interests. In a related development, the Amanyanabo of Ikei Ama, Ebi Spencer-Tekenah, the Tiefienyo Furo family and the people of Ikei Ama have also denied any connection with the violence.
Their solicitors, TEE Legal, in a public disclaimer signed by Chief Eric Tekena-Ayeba Tonye, described reports linking their clients to the incident as false and misleading.
The lawyers maintained that a land inspection exercise involving members of the Tiefienyo Furo family and representatives of an indigenous oil exploration company was peaceful and had ended several hours before the confrontation.
They therefore rejected any suggestion that the exercise was connected to the violence, insisting that no credible factual basis had been established to implicate their clients.
“For the avoidance of doubt, our clients categorically disclaim any involvement in, connection with, nor responsibility for the said incident,” the solicitors stated.
The lawyers also pointed to preliminary information concerning alleged illegal black sand mining activities in the affected area as requiring proper investigation.
They condemned the loss of life and called on the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant authorities to conduct a thorough, impartial and professional investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify those responsible.
The competing accounts have placed renewed focus on the underlying tensions over black sand mining, land ownership and community leadership in the affected axis of Brass Local Government Area.
While the monarch has maintained that Nembe E&P’s land acquisition process was peaceful and unrelated to the death of his personal assistant, the company has challenged the government’s decision to associate it with the violence, just as the Ikei Ama community has denied responsibility.
The authorities are expected to establish the immediate circumstances surrounding the fatal confrontation and determine whether the disputed mining and land-related issues contributed to the crisis.
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