Tension as stakeholders accuse Oando of unlawful operations, intimidation in Gran Deep ‘A’ oil field, call on Takeme, Commissioner of oil, DSS to intervene

• Demand Oando to Halt Operations Over Lack of Engagement

By Monday Peters, Abuja

Aggrieved Community leaders of the Oyangbene Community in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State have called on the Chairman of the Council, Chief Dr. Julius Takeme to intervene on what they described as an attempt to intimidate and harass host communities of the Grangbene Deep “A” oil drilling Project by Oando Energy Resources Limited.

According to a statement by three stakeholders of the community Dr. Enewaridideke Ekanpou, Mr. Paul Tusemone, and Chief Aguede Obosu, the company refused to engage stakeholders’ and host communities’ representatives before resuming operation but resorted to the use of a gun-boat approach to undergo its operations in the oil field.

The community leaders emphasised that the company allegedly arrived at the project site with gunboats on March 8, 2026, without informing the council chairman or local stakeholders, sparking outrage among residents of Oyangbene, Labulouseigha, Bilazia, and other affected communities.

However, the host communities condemned Oando’s approach and described it as “arrogant” “disrespectful, and breach of official protocol, demanding the company to halt operations until proper engagement is conducted for the sake of peace, justice, equity and all fairness.

The community leaders had also appealed to the Delta State SSS Director and Hon. Commissioner of Oil and Gas to intervene and ensure Oando adopts a more inclusive approach to the exploration activities and not to incite conflicts in the area.

The Statement reads, “We are calling on the Chairman of Burutu Local Government council, Chief Dr. Julius Takeme, to laise with the relevant government agencies or institutions and call Oando Energy Resources Limited to order over its wrong approach to the Grangbene Deep “A” Project.

“It is a project that involves Oyangbene, Labulouseigha, Bilazia and other communities and these communities are supposed to be meaningfully engaged before commencement of any operation. Oando has been repeatedly told to call stakeholders and engage the communities.

“The company has refused to heed this call. Rather than engage the communities, Oando stormed the site of the project with two gunboats on 8 March 2026 without engaging the communities and the Burutu Local Government Chairman who is the chief security officer of the communities in Burutu Council. This is a slap on the Burutu Council Chairman and the communities in the Agran Deep ‘A’ oil field.

“In strong terms we hereby condemn the storming of Grangbene Deep “A” project site today ( 8th March 2026) without meaningful engagement and without telling the Burutu Council Chairman they are in his territory. This is a display of arrogance and power-drunkenness by Oando which daily parades itself as a company that can do whatever it wishes to do in Nigeria. This is totally unacceptable. Whatever Oando has gone secretly to do there without stakeholders engagement is null and void. Oando’s approach to the project signals arrogance, disrespect and intimidation.

“Prior to carrying out the EIA project in the area, Oyangbene, Labulouseigha, Bilazia and others must be meaningfully engaged but this seems a discomfort to OANDO because they have a plot to ride on the rights of the communities. This is totally wrong and unacceptable. This should be immediately corrected through the quick intervention of the Burutu Council Chairman who is familiar with the territory.

“In reinforcement of our call for intervention of Burutu Council Chairman, we are also calling on the Director of SSS in Delta State and the Delta State Hon. Commissioner of Oil and Gas to intervene and collectively call Oando to adopt the right approach to the project in our area. The communities would not tolerate any form of deprivation, oppression and intimidation arrogantly deposited at their doorstep”, the statement emphasised.