Emma Amaize
WARRI- A group of fraudsters  hiding under the cover of Host Communities of Nigeria, Oil and Gas,  have allegedly defrauded unsuspecting members of different oil and non-oil bearing communities in Delta State of several millions of naira under the  pretext of facilitating the payment to them of  N98 billion compensation, set aside by oil and gas companies for gas flaring.

Vanguard learnt, that the scam had been going on unabated in some communities with the group collecting N1, 500 from each villager to process his/her form until recently when some people revolted against the fraudsters.

Our source said that youths of Agbarha community protested against the group and they had cough out the N1, 500 collected per person, though they shortchanged their victims with N100.

The modus operandi of the group has been to move from one community to the other with the tale of N98 billion claims set aside by the oil and gas companies.

Strangely, the people of Oguname community of Agbarho in Ughelli North local government area, which is not oil producing community fell for the scam and were ripped off of like others.

Pa Gabriel Eserayeberuo and other leaders of the community confirmed that over 200 persons in the community paid N1, 500 each to the syndicate, which claimed to be representing the Host Community of Nigeria, Oil and Gas.

They have subsequently raised alarm over the activities of the group and urged their people not to allow themselves to be hoodwinked any further.

Pa. Eserayeberuo said his people paid the money because they were promised that their names would be included in the list of those to be paid N98 billion allegedly set aside by oil companies operating in the area.

Two other community leaders, Chief Teddy Okperin and Comrade Simeon Egega further disclosed that Oguname community was not an oil producing community and had no presence of any oil company or flow station that flares gas, warning those involved to desist from the act.

They also called on security operatives to intervene and prosecute the fraudsters.

In a petition to the Delta State Commissioner of Police on the matter, solicitors for the accredited leaders of Oguname community, E. Diejomaoh wrote thus, “The persons engaged in this fraud have printed hundreds of forms which are distributed/circulated amongst members of the community and in return collect monies ranging from N1,500 and above per completed form in the guise of processing the payment of a non-existence N98 Billion set aside by oil companies for payment to individuals/members of oil producing communities”.

“These persons have so far collected hundreds of thousands from members of the community. Aside the fraud in the said collection of monies, it is noteworthy that the Oguname community is not an oil producing community and has no presence of any oil company or flow station which flares gas”, the solicitor  added.

“Before writing this petition, the community through her solicitors investigated and revealed that no such authority was ever given to these fraudsters or any other persons(s) at all to collect monies or print forms in this respect.

“One Chief A.M. Bubor (JP), who says he is the National Chairman of the “Host Communities of Nigeria, Oil and Gas, and another Mr. Benji Eweta (State Chairman) respectively,  when contacted maintained that those printing forms and collecting monies from members of their communities are fraudsters and extortionists in that no such venture was approved or authorized,” he said.

“Presently, the situation in Oguname community is boiling and set to result in mayhem and break down of law and order by reason of the activities of these fraudsters who have defrauded/extorted monies and still continuing running into millions of naira and except they are stopped and the matter thoroughly investigated and a prosecution of all those involved in this fraud undertaken, those defrauded are poised to take the law into their hands and the result of which may know no bounds in a community that has been peaceful over the years”, the letter stated