Itsekiri community leaders in Delta State say Abigborodo, Obotie and Ugbekoko are the host communities to SEPLAT, vowing to resist any illegal incursion.
They denounced leaders of the Sapele Okpe Community who, they say, embarked on a campaign of name-calling and misinformation.
The Itsekiri leaders stated this in a press statement issued by the Chairman and Secretary of Abigborodo Management Committee, Ukubeyinje, ESQ and Victor Atseponu in Abigborodo.
They also accused the Sapele Okpe community leaders of concocting lies about the Alema of Warri, Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan and the Special Adviser to the Delta State Governor on Peace Building and Conflict Resolution, Edwin Uzor.
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According to the statement, “Their reference to the Alema of Warri, an administrative chief of Abigborodo, Ugbekoko and several riverine communities in Warri North and Sapele Local Government Area, Chief Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan, is defamatory and grossly disrespectful,’’ the leaders said.
“All issues surrounding the Okpe Sobo forest reserve have been settled, and the decisions have been gazetted in Government White Paper Official Document No. 1 of 2021.
Their claim of incursion into the forest reserve is baseless as they have no land in the reserve.
“However, what is in contention here is the area of Operations of SEPLAT particularly the new area of drilling which the state peacebuilding and conflict resolution is investigating.
“ What is the Business of Sapele Okpe Community in the riverine areas bordering Abigborodo, Obotie and Ugbekoko communities?”.
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