Leaders of the Benikrukru Community in Warri South West local government area of Delta state are said to be facing threats from the various militant groups and individuals from the Itsekiri ethnic nationality.
This may not be unconnected to the judgement of the Federal High Court, Warri, on January 31st of this year, which barred the management of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) from paying compensation to some Itsekiri communities in its Abiteye fields located in the coastal axis of Delta state.
In one of the widely circulated threat messages, a self-acclaimed “General Iwedundun Akpakpa said, “It has come to the attention of Gen lwedunfun Akpakpa, leader of the Itsekiri Defense Council (IDC), that there is a.48-hour ultimatum given to all Itsekiris working in the Abiteye flow station to accept that they are ljaws or leave the flow station.
The ultimatum also included that all Itsekiris in their God-given land of Abiteye should leave the community within 48 hours, and Deghele and Bateren Community will start paying rent to over a paid purported court judgments in a location in Abiteye.”
Apparently frustrated by the outcome of the suit, Itsekiri militias and other aggrieved individuals are said to have threatened to unleash terror on the Benikrukru community, its leaders and indigenes.
Specifically, Akpakpa said, “Let it be known that Abiteye land and all surrounding lands (Deghele and Bateren) belong to the Itsekiris.
“It was the Itsekiris who leased the Abiteye flow station to the Gulf in the 90s; all the documents are there. We, the IDC, will ensure that all Itsekiri land is always protected.
“In the coming days, we will cause damages that will not only be felt by the Delta state government but will also be felt by the federal government of Nigeria. When this happens, state and federal governments should hold (name withheld) responsible for the bloodbath and economic losses that this will lead to in Nigeria.”
“No Itsekiri child will be sent out of his land; the illegal community known as Kenyagbene on the soil of Abiteye will be brought down.
Benikrukru will be brought down. This will be another round of the Okuoama crisis in Warri South West. It will happen. We shall all dance naked,” the faceless Itsekiri militant added.
To this end, fears have gripped Benikrukru and its citizens following the threat by the Itsekiri to unleash mayhem on the areas in protest against the landmark judgement.
Meanwhile, a Niger Delta group, Movement for Peace and Justice in the Niger Delta (MPJND), has accused Chevron’s management of apathy towards the judgement.
As the judgement stated, it accused Chevron of demonstrating lukewarm attitudes in carrying out the court‘s orders.
MPJND, in the statemwhenent, further said that Chevron‘s top echelons sympathised with Itsekiri‘s alleged refusal to comply with the court order.
The group cautioned Chevron against partisanship, adding that “Chevron must obey the judgement of the Federal High Court, Warri, ordering it to stop forthwith payment of compensation to Ode-Itsekiri, Deghele and other Itsekiri communities in the Abiteye fields.”
“It’s appalling that the management of Chevron is taking sides with the Itsekiri in the legal debacle despite that a court of competent jurisdiction has taken a position by delivering a landmark judgment on the vexatious issue“, the group said.
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