Bayelsa suspends oil firm’s land acquisition over fatal community dispute

The Bayelsa State Government has directed the operator of Oil Mining Lease 29 (OML 29) to suspend all land acquisition activities in Brass Local Government Area of the state.

The directive followed a violent land dispute that claimed one life.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that OML 29 is operated by Nembe Exploration and Production Company Ltd.

The company was formerly known as Aiteo Exploration and Production Company, an indigenous oil firm which acquired the oil block following Shell’s divestment in 2014.

This is contained in a statement from Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, Bayelsa’s commissioner for information, orientation and strategy, on Tuesday in Yenagoa.

She, however, said the police had restored peace in the affected area.

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According to her, the dispute involved Dieama and Okpoama communities and resulted in several persons sustaining severe injuries.

The commissioner said Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa directed the oil firm to stop all land acquisition activities and processes until further notice.

She added that the governor also urged communities involved, particularly their youths, to maintain peace and avoid actions capable of escalating the dispute.

The commissioner said the government restated its commitment in ensuring a peaceful resolution of the crisis, while appealing to all parties to cooperate with efforts to restore lasting peace in the affected communities.