The oil-bearing community of Umuedeokwara Odagwa in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State has raised the alarm over the alleged diversion of the state’s oil wells to Owoza Community in neighboring Abia State.
The community accused the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) of erroneously reallocating several oil wells to Abia State, resulting in a daily revenue loss of ₦10 billion for Rivers State.
Speaking exclusively to Vanguard at the Imo River forest, which marks the boundary between the two states, Chief Goodness Nwogu, a Board of Trustees (BoT) member of the Host Community Development Trust Fund (HCDTF), described the situation as unjust.
“We have 15 oil wells, including Well 60, which has been operational since 1961. However, NPDC claims we only have eight, and out of those, only four are functioning. This is false. They have allocated several of our wells to Owoza in Abia State, depriving us of our legitimate resources,” Nwogu stated.
According to Nwogu, the diversion has led to significant financial losses.
“By reallocating these wells, Rivers State loses at least ₦10 billion daily, based on an estimated oil production of 4,000 barrels per day (bpd),” he added.
The community also decried the absence of basic amenities, blaming NPDC, which took over the management of oil facilities from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) about two years ago.
Nwogu expressed concern that vital services intended for Umuedeokwara are being routed through Abia State, warning that this could trigger a communal clash between Umuedeokwara in Rivers State and Owoza in Abia State.
“Everything concerning our community is now handled through Abia State. This is unacceptable and could lead to conflict between us and our neighbors,” he warned.
The community is also demanding ₦50 billion in compensation from HEIRS Oil & Gas over an alleged oil spill from its operations since December 2024, which they claim has devastated local mangroves and aquatic life, leaving many farmers and fishermen without a livelihood.
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Ordu James, a member of the Community Development Board (CDB), attributed the spill to equipment failure and accused HEIRS of attempting to conceal the extent of the damage.
“The spill has destroyed a large part of our vegetation. Although a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) was conducted, HEIRS secretly dug over 16 pits to divert the spilled crude. The damage is enormous, and we are demanding ₦50 billion for compensation, land remediation, and environmental restoration,” James asserted.
He further lamented the lack of infrastructure in the oil-rich community.
“We have no hospitals, no electricity, and no employment for our youths. Why should we remain an oil-producing area if we continue to suffer neglect?” he questioned.
The community accused NPDC of favoring Abia State, even alleging that Christmas palliatives intended for Umuedeokwara last December were channeled through Owoza.
Chief Nwogu called on the Rivers State Government to intervene and reclaim the diverted oil wells.
“We have 15 functional oil wells, two manifolds, one booster plant, one flow station, and one jetty. Yet, NPDC insists that some of these facilities belong to Abia State. Rivers State must act now to reclaim our resources,” Nwogu demanded.
He issued a two-week ultimatum to NPDC to reverse the alleged diversion.
“If NPDC fails to return the diverted oil wells within two weeks, we will shut down the flow station and the two manifolds,” he threatened.
Efforts to reach the management of NPDC for comments were unsuccessful, as several calls were neither answered nor returned.
