Ijaw Community Blows Hot says ₦150m Can't Buy Kare-Epere, Rejects Eviction, Challenges Oil Firm Over alleged Invasion, Destroyed Farmlands

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‎By Ezekiel Kagbala

‎The people of Kare-Epere Zion Community in the Agge axis of Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, have declared that no amount of money, including an alleged ₦150 million land deal, will force them out of their ancestral homeland just as they insisted that Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO) must first account for the invasion of their territory and destruction of farmlands, crops and economic trees.

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‎The community's resistance has brought renewed attention to a disturbing land controversy involving allegations of a proposed 30-year lease, an alleged ₦150 million arrangement, reported bulldozer activities and fears of displacement of indigenous landowners from their ancestral settlement.

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‎The Community Chairman of Kare-Epere, Comrade Tomone Moses, in a signed statement made available to journalists on Wednesday tagged the present stance as "a struggle to protect ancestral ownership, preserve the economic survival of farming families and prevent the possible loss of a heritage that has sustained for decades".

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‎"Our position is unequivocal: Kare-Epere is not for sale, and ₦150 million cannot purchase the identity, history and ancestral birthright of its people", the statement posited.

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‎Speaking in the same vein, the Niger Delta Civil Society Forum Spokesperson for Delta State, Comrade Luck Uto maintained that "those involved in the shaddy deal, including the company, will be profiled to the Economic and Financial crimes commission (EFCC) for investigation".

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‎According to him, "it is unacceptable how a community's ancestral territory could become the subject of a long-term commercial arrangement without resolving fundamental concerns about land ownership, legitimate consent, compensation and the protection of existing livelihoods".

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‎Also, the community chairman, Tomone Moses, has submitted that "for the Kare-Epere people, their ancestral land is not an ordinary commercial asset that can be exchanged for a financial settlement as It represents their history, identity, homes, cultural heritage and economic security".

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‎The alleged ₦150 million arrangement reportedly connected to a 30-year lease to SEEPCO has raised fundamental questions about who negotiated the deal, whose interests were represented and whether the affected landowners genuinely consented to the proposed arrangement.

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Commenting on the issue, Tomone said, "A 30-year lease is not a temporary transaction. It carries long-term implications for land use, farming, settlement, access to natural resources and the economic future of generations yet unborn.

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‎"The community cannot reasonably be expected to surrender its ancestral interests while questions surrounding the legitimacy, boundaries, terms and consent associated with the proposed arrangement remain unresolved".

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‎STERLING OIL MUST PAY FOR DESTROYED FARMS AND CROPS

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‎Observers presently see as more disturbing the allegations that bulldozers have already entered Kare-Epere territory, with farmlands, crops and economic trees reportedly affected in the process.

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‎For the affected families, it is worrisome that the destruction of farmland is not simply a property dispute. It represents the loss of food sources, years of agricultural investment, household income and the means of economic survival.

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‎Economic trees take years to mature, while cultivated farmlands represent the sweat, resources and sacrifices of families who depend on agriculture for their livelihood.

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‎Consequently, stakeholders are calling on Sterling Oil to, as a matter of urgency, "address the allegations and account for any damage caused to community properties".

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‎"The company must not hide behind negotiations over land arrangements while affected families bear the economic consequences of alleged encroachment and destruction of their livelihoods", some stakeholders stated.

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‎Their demand is clear: SEEPCO must pay adequate compensation for every verified destruction of crops, economic trees and farmlands, restore affected livelihoods and respect the ancestral land rights of Kare-Epere people.

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‎This demand is separate from any proposed payment for a lease or other commercial arrangement. Compensation for destroyed properties must be assessed independently and must not be treated as a substitute for obtaining legitimate consent or resolving land ownership disputes.

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‎"Kare-Epere people will not surrender their identity for a financial settlement. Their ancestral homeland is not a corporate bargaining chip, and their economic future cannot be sacrificed for commercial convenience", a community youth leader declared pointedly.

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