Kalm Marine and Petroleum Services Limited, an indigenous oil company operating in Delta State, Nigeria, has condemned a recent invasion of its operational facility at Ogbanabou Marginal Field in Warri South-West Local Government Area.
According to a press statement, which was signed by the management and a copy was sent to PEBNEWS said, the attack, carried out on July 26, 2025, by individuals falsely claiming to represent Ogbanabou Federated Communities-Diebiri Clan, is seen as an unwarranted disruption to the company's operations.
Statement in full:
Kalm Marine and Petroleum Services Limited, an indigenous oil company is suffering persistent attacks by a faceless group claiming to be land owners.
On the 26th of July 2025, certain persons claiming to be representatives of a non-existent Ogbanabou Federated Communities-Diebiri Clan, invaded Kalm Marine’s operational facility at PPL 213, located at Ogbanabou Marginal Field in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State. Prior to that incident, Kalm Marine and Petroleum Services Limited had operated without a single community related or other incident for over two years.
These persons who previously had been dealing with KMSPL as an impacted community known as Efietonghan family, which is a part of the Diebiri Clan (Diebiri Town) in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, are the same person’s now masquerading themselves as Ogbanabou Federated Communities-Diebiri Clan.
Prior to the commencement of operations, and in line with the best stakeholder management protocols of Kalm Marine and Petroleum Services Limited, reviewed documentation received from her predecessor-in-title to the asset (Ogbanabou Marginal Field), and engaged with all communities in the vicinity. Following this individual engagement, On the 8th of August 2023, KMPSL conveyed a joint engagement with stakeholders of the various communities identified in the vicinity of the facility. That meeting crystallized the company’s operational policy for community management.
In that meeting, Pastor Samuel Ako and Mr. Henry Suoware of Efietonghan family and Mr. Orubu Emmanuel (the then Chairman of Diebiri Clan), agreed that Efietonghan family should be included as stakeholders representing Diebiri Clan (Diebiri Town), as it was their tradition to do things communally. Consequently, KMPSL has been dealing with Efietonghan family of Diebiri Clan as an impacted community in the Ogbanabou Marginal Field operations.
The consensus reached by the joined stakeholders meeting of 8th August 2023 was that Ijansa/ Ijelejele/ Ikeremor is the primary host community to KMPSL’s operational location in PPL 213, and the other communities and families should be carried along as impacted communities.
Based on this consensus, a series of Needs Assessments were carried out between October to December 2023, in which all communities, including the host and impacted communities participated voluntarily. Their needs were assessed and inputted into the Host Community Development Trust process and registration. The Efietonghan family also benefited from payments to impacted communities, which they continued to receive while work was ongoing at the location.
Following the Needs Assessments process, the Host Community Development Trust registration process was commenced, culminated in the registration of the Ijansa/Ijelejele/Ikeremor Host Community Development Trust. The process was completed on the 20th of January 2025, and the Board of Trustees (BOT) inaugurated on the 20th of March, 2025. These
painstaking processes were completed without objection or challenge from any stakeholder or impacted communities. On this basis, Kalm Marine and Petroleum Services Limited has continued to deal with all her host and impacted communities.
Kalm Marine and Petroleum Services Limited is committed to maintaining good working relationships with all communities, whether host or impacted. In this regard, it has continued to provide material support to communities outside of the statutory Host Community Development Trust obligations.
Therefore, the invasion of its operational base on the 26th of July 2025, by persons claiming to be members of the non-existent Ogbanabou Federated Communities-Diebiri Clan, is an unwarranted and unjustified attempt to coarse the management of KMPSL to go outside the procedures of the PIA 2021 and Joint Stakeholder consensus of 8th August, 2023, by some faceless
persons. It is noteworthy that this change in behavior of leaders of the Efietonghan family of Diebiri Clan (Diebiri Town) coincides with the change in leadership of Diebiri Clan. Persons who had previously been introduced to KMPSL as the new leaders of Diebiri Clan turned around to make demands as leaders of a non-existent Ogbanabou Federated Communities-Diebiri Clan. This explains why they were granted peaceful access to our operational base, only for them to unfurl placards and make unsubstantiated claims.
The management of Kalm Marine and Petroleum Services Limited, is fortified in its position stated above by the facts of a case decided by the Court of Appeal, 3 decades ago in Appeal No: CA/B/137/87 between Chief Kenerkedi Bebeakeie and 2 Ors v. Alokpa Olioki and 4 Ors, which settled the ownership of land amongst the various communities in the vicinity. It may interest the public to know that the Efietonghan family of Diebiri community (in that case), chose to bear witness in favour of the 3rd party challengers who lost
the case.
It is thus curious that persons who are now claiming to be owners of land and disrupting our operations 3 decades ago chose to be witnesses rather than claimants.
We have again received threats from the perpetrators of the last invasion, giving ultimatums, and stating their wish to close down our operational
facility at Ogbanabou Marginal Field.
Please be advised that Kalm Marine and Petroleum Services Limited, is duly authorized to carry out its activities under all applicable laws, licenses, and approvals. Any attempt by individuals or groups to disrupt, hinder, or unlawfully interfere with our operations, constitutes a violation of the law and will be resisted within the ambits of the law. Relevant security agencies
have been contacted.
Nevertheless, Kalm Marine and Petroleum Services Limited will continue to maintain good working relationships with all parties and will continue to advice all parties who had grievances to settle their differences amicably.
Signed:
Management
No comments:
Post a Comment