Mkpoikana Udoma 10 May 2017, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt – Four families in Omoku town in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State have decried forceful takeover of their farmlands by an indigenous oil company, Nestoil Limited.
The families – Umuela, Umuorukwo, Umu-Nwokocha and Umu-usam – alleged that Nestoil has taken over their vast portion of land for the building of a metering station without seeking for approval and agreement.
Narrating the predicament of the families, the Chairman of the four landlords, Mr. Uche Tobin, alleged that when the families met Nestoil while working on the land, the company ordered soldiers to shoot at them.
Tobin alleged that the oil firm had intended to kill their youths for intending to query the forceful possession of the land and tagged them cultists.
According to him, “Nestoil came and talked with us the first time because they were told that we are their landlord. Nestoil told us that they will use force and enter the land. How can a company use force to take our land? The next time they called us they told us that they do not have any case with us, that they have contracted the project to another company, Fezinant Nigeria Limited.
“The next thing we saw was Nestoil invading our land and starting excavation. When we heard that, we went there to find out, but the manager ordered the troop of military men with them to shoot at the youths.
“Is it good to acquire somebody’s land forcefully without consultation? When we met them they refused to talk with us. Part of the labour force is supposed to come from us. Our youths are there without doing anything. Nestoil should come down and talk with us. They should not use the military to enter our land by force,” Tobin lamented.
When contacted for a reaction, the Manager, Corporate Communications and Business Development of Nestoil Limited, Mr. Olusegun Fafore, debunked the allegations as untrue, but declined further comments on the matter.