Ugbanabou debunks allegation of invasion of Kalm Marine Base, Describes Izansa/Ijelejele/Ikeremor Community as Land Grabbers, Aggressors 

By Monday Peters, Abuja

The Ugbanabou Federated Community in Diebiri Clan in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State has debunked alleged false claims by Izansa, Ijelejele and Ikeremor people in Warri Ogbe-Ijoh kingdom that it invaded Kalm Marine operational base in a manner that smacked terror, adding that they never invaded Kalm Marine base in Ugbanabou Community but only visited the company’s site to protest against injustice and inhuman treatments meted for them as rightful host community.

This was contained in a statement made by the leadership of Ugbanabou Community during a press briefing Today August 3, 2025 at Warri, Delta State.

The press statement which was co-signed by the Chairman of Ogbanabou Federated Community-Diebiri Clan, Mr Alex Ebi Fenimine and Mr. Anthony Ebi Ikpelagha Secretary, described the Izansa, Ijelejele and Ikeremor people as land grabbers and trespassers and aggressors, a move according to them if not checked could incite and foments discord in Warri South West Local Government Area of the state in no distance time.

Speaking further, Ogbanabou leadership reaffirmed that they were the owners of the land and waters where Kalm Marine oil operations were situated and not Ogbe-Ijoh people under the presence of Izansa, Ijelejele and Ikeremor villages.

The leadership that was at the press briefing included High Chief Joseph Gbelegbele, Opinion leader, Ambassador Deacon Tekedor Binasine Clement, Opinion leader, Chief Davide Namabiri, Opinion leader, Chief Jacob E. Nadifa (JP), eldest man, Elder Smart Nadifa, Elder Eric Numa, opinion leader, Mr Goodluck Ekpebide, immediate past chairman of Diebiri- Batan community, Elder Duke Waredemebo, Mrs Monday Tammy

Women leader and Mrs Onome Amalade.

The statement read, “Greetings gentlemen of the press, this press release is in Response to a press release held on 31/07/2025 by Chief Michael Akoubodo for himself and for the people of Izansa, Ijelejele, Ikeremor villages from Ogbe-Ijoh kingdom which villages are very far away from our Ogbanabou Federated Communities-Diebiri Clan, from Diebiri Clan. In present here are elders, leaders, women, youths and the representatives of the Ogbanabou Federated Communities-Diebiri Clan, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, sitting here with me are as follows:

“We the leadership of the OGBANABOU FEDERATED COMMUNITIES-DIEBIRI CLAN with full authority, mandate and support of the entire Igadeware in Diebiri clan wish to quickly react without any equivocation to the mundane and misplaced press release in the caption of “Delta Host Community condemns invasion of Kalm Marine Base”.

“We make bold to state clearly that the entire intent and purpose of the said press release by Chief Michael Akoubodo and some shenanigans and “loo leadership of social neophyte” parading as Izansa/Ijelejele/Ikeremor Community leaders are a failed attempt to peddle blatant falsehood and shield their criminal activities and complicities over the rightful communal domain of Diebiri Clan progenitors of Ogbanabou.

“First of all, it is with great concern that except for a deliberate attempt to use a known lawyer in the person of Chief Akoubodo, every other persons parading themselves as leaders or executives of the Izansa/Ijelejele/Ikeremor village appears in the said press release are hireling, looking confused as to have purported the press release, more obviously that the known faces and personalities of the Izansa/Ijelejele/Ikeremor villages were obviously absent in their kangaroo gathering.

“Secondly, we find it laughable that the entire press release has no ancestral root of claim of ownership with long title of possession backing it, but only an empty statement of ownership of the operational base of Kalm Marine and a mischievous intent to present themselves as host communities to Kalm Marine. The public should disregard their claims, they are land grabbers, trespassers and aggressors. We are calling on security agents to be aware of these deliberate moves by the aforementioned communities to incite crisis in Warri South West Local Government Area.

“It is even more laughable that they dare by their press release referred to Ogbanabou Federated Communities as a nonexistent Community. We want to clearly correct their ignorance that the said Ogbanabou even older than their said Izansa/Ijelejele/Ikeremor villages community. A fact known to the elders of their villages hence they were conspicuously absent in their Press Release, why because the elders are close to their graves hence they don’t taint white hairs with black, falsehood as presented by the Press Release of Ogbe-Ijoh land grabbers and encroachers.

“Thirdly, it is manifestly obvious that the impostors and frontliners of the press release are totally confused as to the very purpose of the Ogbanabou Federated Community protested at the Kalm Marine base. First of all, the people and leadership of Ogbanabou Federated Communities are not cowards, so saying that they invaded the Kalm Marine Operational Base is understatement, we need not invade our property or communal land we take it over because it is ours, however the choice of word invade as used in their press release was with the sole intent to discredit and create a restive situation between Kalm Marine and us with a view to putting us in a negative light.

“However, we did not invade Kalm Mairne operational base, we the people and leadership of the Ogbanabou Federated Community-Diebiri Clan as the original, rightful owners/occupants of land where the Kalm Marine and Petroleum Services Ltd is situated, we went there to carry out our constitutional right of freedom of expression otherwise known as peaceful protest in order to draw the attention of the Management of Kalm Marine and Petroleum Services Ltd, to the injustice done to us their lawful host community and to make our demands known to them, which you the people of Izansa, Ijelejele and Ikeremor from Ogbe-Ijoh, have no right or whatsoever reason to questioned what we are doing with a company that is operating in our land Ogbanabou. Be warned; avoid our territory with your land grabbing ambition. Izansa, Ijelejele, and Ikeremor have NO place here in Ogbanabou Federated community -Diebiri Clan communal land, our proof of ownership as the original rightful owners/occupants of the territory remained undeniable till the end of life.

“Sadly the naked masquerade dancing shamelessly with no spectators at the market square has been revealed these are the people of Izansa/Ijelejele and Ikeremor from Ogbe-Ijoh villages that is misleading the Kalm Marine and Petroleum Services Ltd as exposed by their press release. It is high time the true masquerade ancestral and bonafide dance to the glaring of all an sundry, and the supposed shameless naked masquerade must give way a the people of Igadeware and the Diebiri clan will not cede any of its land, let

alone its ancestral land of Ogbanabou part of which Kalm Marine is rightly situated to any other village, community, clan or kingdom wanting to hijack, grab or take over its ancestral domain. We know our ancestral root our progenitor is Dio whose son Igade. We are direct descendants of the founder of Ogbanabou and several villages.

“One is left to wonder by your press release how a masquerade from over 200 kilometers far away will come and be dancing at the shoreline of another Community knowing full well a more superior masquerade and spirit that knows and wants no rival or friendship to steal its communal domain will permit such. This is our position as the people and leadership of Ogbanabou Federated Communities Diebiri Clan, we will not allow any misguided persons with mischievous intent to take our ancestral land or take benefits accruing to us in our land. We will resist it and defend our God given communal land.

“We are also using this medium via this counter press release to draw the attention of Kalm Marine and Petroleum Services Ltd to disassociate itself from Izansa/Ijelejele/Ikeremor Community and its executives because they are impostors and illegal, whom have trespassed and claiming what does not belong to them. This is rightly so because they have come out openly to play host to where is not their communal domain.

“They know they can’t give what they don’t have so they can’t hold on to what does not belong to them. We strongly advise the management of Kalm Marine and Petroleum Services Ltd to advise itself on how to deal with people who cannot give what they don’t have. Any such agreements, freedom to operate or any such purported arrangement with the Izansa/Ijelejele/Ikeremor Community as entered into by Kalm Marine and Petroleum Services Ltd is at their own peril.

“The said Management of Kalm Marine and Petroleum Services Ltd are strongly advice to deal with Ogbanabou Federated Communities now and henceforth to avert shut down of its operation in Ogbanabou our communal land, as our ancestors, will power, and communal operational strength will not fail us in this regard. In fact we state without any equivocation that the case of Ogbanabou land over Kalm Marin operational base will be the very last example to every territorial expansion greed by the Izansa/Ijelejele/Ikeremon people from Ogbe-Ijaw villages, previously manipulated against our Communities in Diebiri clan.

“We therefore at the juncture draw the attention of the management of Kal Marine and Petroleum Services Ltd that we strongly stand by our press release dated the 26th day of June, 2025.

Enough is enough and this will surely be enough!, the statement urged.