Fresh Protests Trail Seplat Operations as Abigborodo, Oton Communities Clash Over Host Status in Delta

By Valerie Oyibo-Itie / Endurance Ikanone

Tension flared on Monday, December 15, 2025, as youths, women and elders from Abigborodo community in Warri North Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State staged a protest over what they described as their continued exclusion from benefits and employment opportunities arising from Seplat Energy’s operations in the area.

The protesters, who gathered near Seplat’s operational corridor, accused the oil and gas firm of failing to recognise Abigborodo as a host community despite years of operating on land they claim belongs to them. They warned that Seplat’s activities would be disrupted if their demands were ignored, noting that several appeals to the company and relevant authorities had yielded no result.

Addressing journalists during the protest, the women leader of Abigborodo community, Mrs Patience Ologho, said the demonstration was part of a series of actions taken by the community over time.

According to her, Seplat Energy has continued to operate on Abigborodo land without engaging the community’s youths, women or elders in employment or development initiatives.

“Our demands have been presented several times to Seplat and to the authorities, but there has been no response. For more than five years, no single person from Abigborodo has benefited from Seplat’s operations. We want peace and a fair settlement because land in dispute cannot be enjoyed by only one community. If nothing is done, we will have no option but to stop Seplat from working on our land,” Ologho said.

Also speaking, the Abigborodo women wing secretary, Mrs Felicia Koma, insisted that the land where Seplat is operating belongs to Abigborodo community. She recalled an earlier protest by women along the river, during which Seplat officials allegedly promised to engage them but failed to follow through.

“They never did,” she said, pointing out that “That is why we are here again. We are peace-loving people, but we are ready to shut down their operations until Seplat Energy responds to us.”

Another indigene, Miss Oyibodudun Ajemijereoma Gladys, said the protest was prompted by Seplat’s refusal to recognise Abigborodo as a host community, adding that the community’s demands were straightforward.

“Seplat should recognise Abigborodo as one of the host communities and employ our people. If they continue to ignore us, we will not allow them to operate freely here,” she said.

Meanwhile, a counter-protest was also recorded by members of Oton community in Sapele Local Government Area. The demonstrators carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “Here nor be Warri North,” asserting that the area where Seplat operates falls within Oton land.

One of the Oton protesters, Mrs Rita Unyiadibute, alleged that Abigborodo residents had been preventing Oton community members from accessing their farmlands and from carrying out the limited jobs allegedly offered to them by Seplat Energy.

“They want to take our jobs from us, and we will not agree. Abigborodo belongs to Warri North LGA. They should go back to where they came from. The place where Seplat is working belongs to Oton community,” she said.

She appealed to the Delta State Government to intervene urgently and find a lasting solution to what she described as a long-standing land dispute between the two neighbouring communities, warning that continued tension could disrupt farming and other economic activities.

Abigborodo and Oton are riverine communities within Delta State’s oil-producing belt, an area historically prone to boundary disputes and competition over host community status.

Abigborodo, a predominantly Itsekiri-speaking community in Warri North LGA, depends largely on fishing, farming and small-scale trading. Oton community, located in Sapele LGA and largely Urhobo/Okpe-speaking, also relies heavily on fishing and farming, with deep ancestral ties to the surrounding land and creeks.

Community leaders and observers note that disputes between the two communities predate the arrival of oil companies but have intensified with the advent of extractive activities, which often bring employment opportunities, contracts and development projects.

As of the time of filing this report, Seplat Energy had not issued an official response to the allegations. Residents and stakeholders continue to call for dialogue and timely government intervention to avert a shutdown of oil operations and ensure lasting peace in the affected communities.