By Emma Amaize

BURUTU—RESIDENTS of Ekogbene, Egrangbene, Abadama and Kalafiogbene  communities, Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday, threatened to disrupt operations of Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, for allegedly lifting oil clandestinely from a divested oil well, OML 62, in their area.

They demanded compensation and prosecution of NPDC and NNPC for the action, saying: “NNPC and NPDC should immediately pay all the benefits due to the host communities to avoid disruption of their activities in the coming days.”

An opinion leader of Ekogbene community, Chief Selekowei Oruebi, in a statement, claimed: “The secret lifting of crude oil from divested oil wells of OML 61, 62 and 63 by NPDC and NNPC to the tune of £3.487 billion came to us as a shock as the host communities were unaware of these fraudulent activities.

“We demand that severe sanctions be meted out on them. They should be compeled to pay compensation and other benefits which may accrue to host communities. It is also noted that in their response over non-remittance of certain amounts due to the federation account, they did not dispute lifting oil from divested oil wells of OML 61, 62 and 63.

“These criminal activities have been going on for decades without the knowledge of the host communities. But fot the revelations by Senator Dino Melaye, nobody would have known that such activities were going on in our communities.

“Failure to meet our demands, we shall resort to every lawful means to compel them to do the needful.

“Our immediate concern is OML 62, which encompasses Ekogbene, Egrangbene, Abadama, Kalafiogbene and other communities. OML 62 is a divested oil well located in our communities. It was originally owned by Shell BP. This is provocative and capable of inciting violence in our communities.”

The host communities urged the National Assembly to compel NPDC and NNPC to sign a peace pact with them to avoid breakdown of law and order.