Tension is mounting in the Onuebum community of Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State over the violation of the order of the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, stopping Sterling Exploration and Energy Production Company Nigeria Limited (SEEPCO) from oil exploration activities from OPL 2005 located at Owaliba land.
Elders and youths of the Onuebum community, said SEEPCO reportedly defied the court order and has resumed civil works, including extensive sand filling, at the oilfield site.
They averred that the action violates a February 19, 2025, interlocutory injunction granted by Justice N. Ayo-Emmanuel, in suit number FHC/YNG/CS/277/2024, filed on behalf of the community against SEEPCO, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Bayelsa State Government and the attorney-general of Bayelsa State.
The court gave an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining SEEPCO from carrying out any oil exploration or any other activity related to oil exploration at OPL 2005, pending the hearing and final determination of the substantive suit.
The plaintiffs are seeking six reliefs over the failure of SEEPCO to carry out an environmental impact assessment in consultation with the host community, as recognized under the Petroleum Industry Act.
An indigene of the Onuebum community, Comrade Azibola, who confirmed the development, said “despite this order, SEEPCO has resumed work at the Owaliba bush site. Community sources confirm ongoing civil works, specifically extensive sand filling—a precursor to potential oil extraction.
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“This action, while not drilling, represents a potential contempt of court, as the injunction broadly prohibits any project-related activity, and it could trigger penalties for SEEPCO and its officials.
“This shows they don’t care about us, or the law. The 2021 PIA aims to reform Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, tackling long-standing issues of transparency, community disenfranchisement, and environmental damage in the Niger Delta.”
“The law strives to ensure that the community benefits from oil extraction and to minimize environmental harm. This case tests the PIA’s effectiveness, and SEEPCO’s actions question the enforceability of court orders in the region.”
