Ijaw Community Cries Out as Sterling Oil Allegedly Moves to Evict Kare-Epere Residents from Ancestral Land

Photo above: L- indigine, Middle, Founder of Kare-Epere Zion Community, His Highness Danniel P. Bele, Right--Tomone Moses, Chairman, Kare-Epere Zion Community

Residents allege land invasion, unauthorised soil testing and destruction of livelihoods; urge Delta Government, Burutu Council and Ijaw leaders to intervene

By Ezekiel Kagbala

An eviction crisis is looming in Kare-Epere Zion Community, in the Agge area of Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State, as residents accuse Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited, also known as Sterling global of encroaching on their ancestral land, conducting unauthorised soil tests and allegedly moving to eject them from homes they have occupied for more than 30 years.

The aggrieved residents say the invasion threatens their ancestral inheritance, homes and traditional livelihoods, warning that the situation could degenerate into a major crisis if the Delta State Government, Burutu Local Government Council and Ijaw leaders fail to intervene urgently.

The community's chairman, Mr. Moses Tomone, raised the alarm on Tuesday while conducting journalists around the community. He alleged that activities linked to the oil company had damaged portions of the community's land, undermined farming and fishing activities, and heightened fears of a possible takeover of the disputed territory.

Tomone alleged that Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production had recently involved leaders of Agge Community, in neighbouring Bayelsa State, in efforts to secure the disputed land, with Kare-Epere residents reportedly being told to vacate.

He questioned the legitimacy of any arrangement that could result in the transfer of land to the oil company without the knowledge and consent of the people who occupy it.

“Agge, which lies along the Atlantic Ocean coastline in Bayelsa State, is separated from Kare-Epere by a river. Kare-Epere is in Delta State, and any dealings between Agge and Sterling Oil should not involve ceding part of Kare-Epere's land to the company,” Tomone argued.

He further alleged that Agge had been collecting rent from Sterling Oil for operations on land claimed by Kare-Epere, raising questions about who authorised the transaction, the extent of the land involved and whose interests the arrangement serves.

The community chairman also claimed that oil had been discovered in commercially significant quantities in the area and that soil-testing activities were ongoing without the community's knowledge or consent.

For  the residents, the alleged land dealings represent more than a boundary dispute. They fear that decisions taken without their participation could strip them of their ancestral inheritance, displace families and destroy the natural resources on which their survival depends.

Beyond the land dispute, Kare-Epere leaders accused Sterling Oil of failing to provide adequate benefits to the community under its existing arrangements with host communities.

Tomone claimed that the company pays only Fifty thousand Naira, (₦50,000) monthly to the entire community, despite an existing Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) involving Sterling Oil and seven communities in the Age-Kou clan.

The communities are Youtu, Agge-Okibo, Okofaka, Okibozion, Okia, Kare-Epere Zion Community and Belle.Community all in Burutu local government Area.

A community representative said Sterling Oil had maintained dealings with the communities under the arrangement but questioned the adequacy of the benefits and the handling of agreements relating to land occupied by Kare-Epere residents.

They also raised concerns about the company's compliance with its obligations under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), demanding transparency over host-community benefits and clarification of the terms governing its relationship with the affected communities.

However, the alleged monthly payment and claims of non-compliance with the PIA have not been independently verified as the company declined official response when contacted and severally. 

Agge Community has also yet to respond to the allegations presented in this report.

Meanwhile, residents lamented the absence of basic amenities, including electricity, schools, good roads and safe drinking water, saying the threat of displacement would compound the hardship already confronting the community.

Secondary School building built by Desopadec in Kare-Epere community 

They further alleged that excavation associated with the disputed activities had damaged areas used for farming and fishing, threatening the livelihoods of families who depend on the land and surrounding environment.

Founded in 1994 by Highness Danniel P. Bele, Kare-Epere Zion Community, popularly known as “Pray for Me Community,” developed around farming, fishing and religious activities.

According to community representatives, Kare-Epere was formally recognised as an autonomous community on February 15, 2014, by its mother community, Age, under the late His Highness David Giant Isiayei and his executive.

Residents insist that their decades-long occupation of the land and historical ties to the territory must be respected in any arrangement involving oil exploration, land use or commercial activities.

Their anger was captured in a pointed question directed at those they believe are attempting to determine the future of their homeland without their consent.

“How can a stranger chase a child out of his father's land? Has it ever been recorded that a stranger enters someone else's house and claims ownership?” aggrieved residents asked.

The community insists that no land-use arrangement should disregard the rights and interests of the people who occupy and lay claim to the disputed territory. It wants the relevant authorities to establish the facts surrounding the alleged land transfer, the reported collection of rent and the company's ongoing activities.

With fears of possible eviction mounting, Kare-Epere residents have appealed to the Delta State Government, Burutu Local Government Council Chairman, Hon. Julius Takeme, and prominent Ijaw leaders to intervene before the dispute escalates into a full-blown confrontation.

They are demanding an impartial investigation into the disputed land arrangements, protection against any unlawful displacement, transparency over host-community benefits and an investigation into the reported excavation and soil-testing activities.

The residents also want the authorities to establish whether any agreement exists between Age Community and Sterling Oil concerning the disputed territory and, if so, determine its scope, legitimacy and implications for Kare-Epere.

For Kare-Epere, the battle is about more than oil exploration or commercial interests. It is about ancestral ownership, dignity, survival and the right of a community to have its interests heard before decisions are taken over land its people say they have occupied for decades.

The residents insist they will not surrender their homeland to any alleged invader and are calling for a peaceful, lawful and transparent resolution of the dispute.

The responsibility now rests on the relevant authorities to establish the facts, clarify competing claims and prevent a potentially explosive land dispute from escalating into a humanitarian and security crisis.

Until the allegations are independently investigated and the parties' competing claims resolved, the questions surrounding the disputed land, reported rent payments and alleged eviction plans remain unanswered.

PHOTOS from Kare-Epere Zion Community as FocalPoint Reports takes media Tour , confirming Kare-Epere also Known as Preayfor me Community, as an Ijaw community with real people and admirable lifestyle 

Part of Kare-Epere Community invaded by Sterling Oil Exploration and energy company, soil testing was also conducted without community knowledge 

Area in Kare-Epere Comunity Where Sea Foods are locally preserved