Leaders of the Benikrukru Community in Delta State’s Warri South West local government area reportedly face escalating threats from militant groups and individuals identifying with the Itsekiri ethnic nationality.
The tensions appear linked to a January 31 Federal High Court ruling in Warri that prohibited Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) from paying compensation to certain Itsekiri communities regarding the company’s Abiteye fields operations in Delta State’s coastal region.
Among circulating threats, a message attributed to a self-identified “General Iwedundun Akpakpa,” claiming leadership of the “Itsekiri Defense Council,” references a 48-hour ultimatum allegedly issued to Itsekiri workers at the Abiteye flow station. The ultimatum reportedly demands these workers either acknowledge themselves as Ijaws or vacate the facility, while also ordering all Itsekiri residents to leave the Abiteye community within the same timeframe.
The message further states, “Let it be known that Abiteye land and all surrounding lands belong to the Itsekiris,” claiming the Itsekiri people originally leased the Abiteye flow station site to Gulf in the 1990s. The message threatens actions that would impact both state and federal governments, warning of potential “bloodbath and economic losses.”
These developments have reportedly created significant anxiety among Benikrukru community members following threats of violence in response to the court’s decision.
Meanwhile, an advocacy organization called Movement for Peace and Justice in the Niger Delta (MPJND) has criticized Chevron’s response to the judicial ruling. The group accuses the company of showing reluctance to implement the court’s directives and alleges that Chevron executives sympathize with those opposing the judgment.
MPJND has urged Chevron to maintain neutrality and comply with the court order to “stop forthwith payment of compensation to Ode-Itsekiri, Deghele and other Itsekiri communities in the Abiteye fields.”
