The Alema of Warri Kingdom, Chief Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan, has called on the Federal Ministry of Environment to disregard protests by the Udogun Okpe (Orode-in-Council) over the naming and location of the proposed Abigborodo oil field, insisting that the field rightfully belongs to Abigborodo Community in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.

In a detailed rejoinder addressed to the Minister of Environment and the Permanent Secretary, Chief Uduaghan described claims made by the Okpe leadership concerning the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) public display for the Abigborodo Field in Petroleum Prospecting Licence (PPL) 220, operated by Navante Exploration and Production Limited, as misleading and historically inaccurate.

The Warri monarch, who administers Abigborodo, Ugbekoko and Utonyatserre under the overlordship of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, maintained that the oil field was correctly named and located. He noted that the field was previously operated by Chevron Nigeria Limited, which officially recognised Abigborodo as the host community and rightful landowner.

Tracing the dispute to colonial-era records, Uduaghan stated that the Udogun Okpe never exercised authority over the Okpe-Sobo Forest Reserve. He cited documentary evidence from 1931, showing that Okpe leaders had informed colonial administrators that they had no land to contribute to the proposed forest reserve, a position supported by certified records from the National Archives in Ibadan.

According to him, representatives of the Olu of Warri formally wrote to the colonial government in July 1932, asserting that the land belonged to the Itsekiri nation and requesting the cancellation of the reserve. Although the request was ignored, Abigborodo indigenes continued farming on the land, leading to arrests and a landmark court case in Sapele in March 1940, where a magistrate discharged and acquitted the farmers after affirming Abigborodo ownership.

Uduaghan further revealed that investigations prompted by petitions from the then Alema of Warri, Okenedo, upheld Abigborodo’s claims. These investigations resulted in sketch maps of excised Abigborodo lands, formal recommendations, and legal instruments redefining forest reserve boundaries under the Forest Ordinance.

He added that the Delta State Government released additional land to Abigborodo community in 1996, while several security investigations, judicial panels, and state-backed inquiries—including one ordered by former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa—confirmed cases of encroachment and upheld Abigborodo’s ownership of the disputed area.

The monarch also rejected claims that natural features such as the “Hole in the Creek” separate Abigborodo from the area, stressing that Abigborodo land extends into parts of Sapele Local Government Area. He noted that historical records affirm Sapele as Itsekiri territory, adding that courts have consistently dismissed claims of a so-called “Sapele Okpe Community land.”

Uduaghan emphasised that the EIA public display conducted by the Ministry of Environment was strictly an environmental assessment process and not a forum for revisiting long-settled land ownership issues. He maintained that the naming of Abigborodo Field PPL 220 followed established historical and industry conventions.

He concluded by dismissing all objections raised by the Udogun Okpe as unfounded, reaffirming Abigborodo’s ownership of the land and assuring the Federal Government and stakeholders that the community would provide a peaceful and conducive environment for the operations of Navante Exploration and Production Limited.