Obodo Denies Oil Theft Reports, Says Community Is Being Targeted

Community leaders in Obodo, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, have denied reports linking the area to illegal oil bunkering activities.

Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday in Obodo, the leaders condemned the recent claims and images circulating on social media as false and deliberately misleading.

Community spokesperson Eyantse Emmanuel stated that the materials were crafted to discredit the community and were allegedly orchestrated by certain individuals within the Nigerian Navy, in collaboration with Ijaw counterparts from the Gbaramatu Clan. He added that these efforts were being carried out under the guise of Tantita Security Services, a surveillance firm owned by ex-militant leader Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo.

According to the community, the reports are part of a wider effort to portray Obodo as a hub for oil theft. They expressed serious concern that the repeated portrayal of Obodo as a centre for illegal activity is not only false but also pose a threat to the image and security of the community.

“We want to categorically state that there is no bunkering activity happening around Obodo Community and its environs.”

The briefing, which also addressed ongoing land ownership disputes with Gbaramatu leaders, followed a recent statement by the Nigerian Navy, which reported the discovery of two wooden boats containing 3,600 litres of suspected stolen crude oil in Warri South LGA. The Navy listed Obodo, Ugbokoko, Jatumi, and Obofo Oil Fields as locations tied to the incident.

Obodo community representatives, however, disassociated the community from the discovery, asserting that the inclusion of their name in such reports was unsubstantiated and misleading. They called on federal and state authorities to intervene, investigate the source of the reports, and prevent the continued targeting of Obodo in narratives related to oil theft in the Niger Delta.

They reaffirmed their commitment to lawful conduct and regional peace, warning that any further attempts to malign the community’s reputation would not go unchallenged.