Youths in Ugboba community, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday.
They blocked the main access road to the area over alleged illegal coal mining activities and environmental degradation.
The demonstrators accused Mosra Energy Limited of operating in the community for over three years without transparency.
They claimed the company’s activities have severely damaged farmlands and disrupted livelihoods.
They demanded the immediate release of the memorandum of understanding, purportedly signed between the firm and the community.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Show us the MoU,” “No transparency, no trust,” and “Our land, our future,” the the protesters also decried what they described as a lack of accountability by community leaders.
The youths alleged that mining operations were ongoing without a proper environmental impact assessment, raising concerns about long-term environmental and health consequences.
They further called for the removal of the community’s President General, Mr. Ikose Nnabuife, accusing him of prolonged leadership and mismanagement.
Sources said the protest began with traditional prayers, symbolising what participants described as a quest for liberation from entrenched leadership and exploitation.
The development follows rising tension in the community, heightened by an open letter from an Abuja-based businessman and human rights activist, Anthony Ugochukwu Anamonye, who urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the crisis.
Anamonye also alleged that the mining operation is linked to interests associated with Femi Gbajabiamila, while accusing the traditional ruler, Ezedimbu Nkebakwu, of collaborating with security agencies to suppress dissent—claims that have further deepened mistrust within the community.
Residents say they have long questioned the absence of a formal agreement guiding the mining activities, alleging the diversion of benefits to neighbouring communities.
A youth leader at the protest, lamented the destruction caused by the mining activities, noting that farmlands—the community’s primary source of livelihood—have been devastated.
He said: “For three years, coal mining has continued in our community, destroying our environment and farmlands.
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“We have no MoU with the company. Even if a licence was issued, it does not justify the damage done to our means of survival.”
The protest also follows an earlier reported landslide in October 2025, which residents linked to the mining activities.
The disaster reportedly destroyed farmlands, polluted water sources, and rendered key roads, including the Ukwu-Nzu–Ugboba Road impassable.
The protesters warned that the ongoing situation poses a serious threat to their environment, safety, and economic survival.
