SAPELE – The Alema of Warri and Administrator of Abigborodo, Ugbekoko, and Utonyatsere communities, Chief Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan, has hit back at the Orodje of Okpe-in- Council, dismissing their claims to lands hosting the Abigborodo Field (PPL 220) as "unfounded in historical facts and law."
In a strongly-worded response to recent protests by the Udogun Okpe regarding the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Abigborodo Field, Chief Uduaghan asserted that the land in question belongs exclusively to the Abigborodo Community under the overlordship of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III.
Historical Origins: “Trading, Not Ownership”
Chief Uduaghan countered the narrative that Sapele is an Okpe settlement, citing colonial-era Intelligence Reports from as far back as 1930.
“The only existing communities known in Sapele from time immemorial are all Itsekiri communities. Sapele was never an Okpe Community. Rather, it was Okpe people who came from Orerokpe to trade with the Itsekiris in Sapele Town,” Uduaghan stated.
He referenced the 1930 report by L.E.H. Fellows, which listed notable Okpe villages such as Amukpe, Elume, and Orerokpe, noting that these were historically distinct and far removed from Sapele.
The Ukpe Sobo Forest Reserve Dispute
A central point of the contention involves the Ukpe Sobo Forest Reserve. Chief Uduaghan revealed that in 1931, the Okpe people themselves told colonial authorities they had no available land to contribute to the reserve.
Conversely, the representative of the Olu of Warri had written to the colonial masters in July 1932, asserting that the land used for the reserve belonged to the Itsekiri Nation.
Key Legal and Colonial Milestones Cited:
● 1940 Court Ruling: Magistrate A.V. Scallon discharged and acquitted Abigborodo indigenes arrested for farming in the reserve, ruling that they were the rightful owners of the land.
● The Alema Okonedo Petition: Following a petition to the Governor General, a colonial investigation confirmed Abigborodo’s claims, leading to a sketch map and the eventual de- reservation of the Ugbekoko areas to be returned to Abigborodo.
● 1952 Edict: Revised the Forest Ordinance to clearly describe the boundaries of de-reserved land belonging to Abigborodo.
● 1996 Gazette: The Delta State Government released an additional 200 acres to the existing Abigborodo enclaves of Ugbekoko and Utonyatsere.
Political Boundaries vs. Land Ownership
Addressing the Okpe claim that the land falls within Sapele Local Government Area, Chief Uduaghan clarified that administrative boundaries do not dictate ancestral ownership.
“Local Government Areas are political creations for administrative convenience and do not confer ownership of land. Sapele is largely Itsekiri-owned, as shown by colonial records at the National Archives, Ibadan,” he said.
He also dismissed the Okpe Council’s claim of “magnanimously” allowing former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to build the Abigborodo bridge, calling the statement "offensive" and ignorant of the Land Use Act.
Support for Navante Exploration
Support for Navante Exploration
Chief Uduaghan noted that Chevron Nigeria Limited had already conducted thorough investigations before naming the "Abigborodo Field," thereby recognizing Abigborodo as the rightful host community.
He concluded by reassuring the new operators, Navante Exploration and Production Limited, of a seamless and peaceful operating environment, while urging the public to verify his claims via certified documents at www.abigborodocommunitydeltastate.ng.
