SoS: Warri Based Lawyer, Owen Petitions NIWA Over Night Sails By SEEPCO Vessels In Delta

"All entreaties to make SEEPCO disembark or stop the "nefarious" and "unscrupulous" activities of night sail has only met with serious maltreatment against the people of Egrangbene Federated Communities pointing out that SEEPCO security men on the order of the its Management." Nanakumoh Esq.

A Warri based lawyer, Owen Nanakumoh Esq today on behalf of the people of Egrangbene Federated Communities in Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State petitioned the Area Manager of the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority,(NIWA), Delta State, Nigeria over the alleged night sails operations of big vessels of Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company Limited(SEEPCO) within the Ramos River in their Communities. 

The legal practitioner, in the petition said the operations by oil firm's big vessels has caused series of accidents, hazards, near hazards and several inhuman experiences. 

He noted that the people of Egrangbene, Abadarama, Ekumugbene, Ekogbene, Ebeberegbene, Egolegbene, Ayama, Kantele/Odisgbene, Youmugbene, Etorozibagbene, Dambodou-Ama, Torou-Egrangbene, Tamorekogbene, Gesiam, Tarekiri, Ayalogbene, Daufakere-Oba, Tama-Egrangbene, Dwamatibo, Ebikemegbene, Ebilade and Beinmou-Ama which made up the Egrangbene Federated Communities have been helpless, malnourished and bereft of their livelihoods due to the night sails of the vessels of SEEPCO. 

Owen claimed that pregnant women, children, men, women who are mainly fishers at night are going through serious life challenges including loss of children, miscarriages, destruction of fishing nets, traps, canoes are recorded on weekly basis as a result of several accidents caused by the nigh sails of vessels of SEEPCO. 

Owen stressed that most of the hazards are often recorded in times of rains at night, night dews, fogs as harmattan due to the narrow nature of the River Ramos. 

He added that buildings and jetties have been severally destroyed because some of the vessels ran into the communities. 

Owen said all entreaties to make SEEPCO disembark or stop the "nefarious" and "unscrupulous" activities of night sail has only met with serious maltreatment against the people of Egrangbene Federated Communities pointing out that SEEPCO security men on the order of the its Management. 

Owen also said SEEPCO's attention to the prohibition of night sails by the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority,(NIWA), Act and several Federal Government Gazettes were further resisted or ignored with impunity. 

"In the light of the above amongst others, our client embarked upon an inevitable civil protest on the 22nd of March,2025 against SEEPCO's vessels which later resulted in the invitation of both parties to the Joint Task Force(JTF) office, South-South Operations Delta Safe, Igbogene, Yanagoa, Bayelsa State. In the meeting, SEEPCO justified their night operation on the premise that your good office have given them the grant to sail notwithstanding the EXTANT NIWA Act and Federal Government Gazettes against night sails. 

"However, our clients believe not this claim where SEEPCO can be above the law thereby putting the citizens of Nigeria into this grave danger of death, hunger, hardship and inhuman experiences. 

"It is for the reason of the above SEEPCO's flagrant disobedience to the laws of the land whereby our clients and their family's lives no longer counts, their means of livelihood matters not and their properties are destroyed on daily basis with reckless abandon that has necessitated the petition". 

In the petition in which Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company Limited(SEEPCO, Joint Task Force(JTF) South-South Operations Delta Safe, Igbogene, Yanagoa, Bayelsa State, the Ministry of Environment, Delta State, the Chairman, Burutu Local Government Area, the Commissioner of Police,Delta State, Ministry of Oil & Gas, Delta State, the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Petroleum (Oil), the legal practitioner demanded that NIWA state clearly whether or not, night sails in the creeks and particularly vessels of this magnitude have been legalized in Nigeria, or whether SEEPCO is actually granted night sails permit notwithstanding the wellbeing and safety of the people and whether the people do not have the inalienable rights as guaranteed by Section 33&34 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended)?