Ifie-Kporo residents shut operations at two Chevron-operated oil wells in Delta State, demanding recognition as a host community.
Members of Ifie-Kporo community in Delta State shut down two Chevron-operated oil wells on Wednesday, accusing the company of marginalisation and exclusion.
The disputed wells, OML 24 and OML 25, lie within the Macaraba oil field in Warri South Local Government Area.
At about 7 a.m., youths and women travelled to the oil fields in speedboats, carrying placards demanding formal recognition as a host community.
The protesters said both wells occupy their ancestral land and demanded that Chevron Nigeria Limited recognise their host community status.
They also urged the company to respect their rights under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and support development in Ifie-Kporo.
Some protesters told journalists they would continue occupying the location until Chevron addressed their grievances.
The community urged Chevron to follow what it described as Gulf’s precedent of recognising Ifie-Kporo as the host community during its operations.
The protesters warned that the dispute could threaten peace in the area and called on Chevron to resolve the matter.
Efforts by journalists to obtain comments from Chevron Nigeria Limited’s management were unsuccessful, as the company’s representatives could not be reached, The Punch reports.