PIPELINES PASS THROUGH OUR LANDS; Oil Rich Oviri-Olomu Community Insists.... We Know The Boundaries

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"Oviri-Olomu Community owns the land where the pipeline is. Anyone who says pipeline did pass through Oviri-Olomu, the person is telling lies"..... Community leader.

Oviri-Olomu Community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State today insisted that oil pipelines passed through their land stressing that same were allegedly vandalized by some Executive members of the community.

The Community described as a blatant lie, media reports by some unscrupulous persons who claimed, no pipeline passed through the Community.

The Community said their reactions became imperative so as to avert a future crisis with their neighbours.

The leaders of the Community separately made the assertion in a chat with Our Correspondent today.

A retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, Chief Patrick Esiobo said, "Oviri-Olomu Community owns the land where the pipeline is. Anyone who says pipeline did pass through Oviri-Olomu, the person is telling lies".

An elder in the Community, Pa. Akarohor Ighroghro of Ukueje Quarters in Oviri-Olomu Community stated that his family owns the land where the pipeline is situated.

According to him, "We own the land. No other persons or Communities own any land there. Ukueje Quarters own the land".

He noted that some leaders in the Community vandalized the pipelines stressing that they fell foul of the laws in line with the Community's 1998 Constitution.

An elder of Onasiota Quarters in Oviri-Olomu Community, Pa Aron Agbudje also bared his mind in the matter saying,"Oviri-Olomu owns the land where the pipeline is".

Pa. Agbudje, who was flanked by the spokesman of Useh Quarters in Oviri-Olomu, Mr. Opio Austin said, "it is a big lie for anyone to say pipeline did not pass through Oviri-Olomu Community. We are saying this now to put the records straight and to avert any crisis in the near future".

The Spokesman and Spokeswoman of Oviri-Olomu Community, Chief Friday Samuel Akpore and Mrs. Esther Monday also corroborated the claims saying, "the land where the pipeline is, belongs to Oviri-Olomu. Those people are talking rubbish".