**Insists Ubanunu, Ubaregin Are Ancestral Territories, Demands Host Community Recognition
Leaders and youths of Okogho community in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State have threatened to shut down Chevron Nigeria Limited’s operations at five oil wells in the Makarava Oil Field over alleged marginalisation, deprivation and failure to recognise the community’s host status.
The threatened shutdown, involving oil wells 20, 21, 22, 24 and 25 in the Ubanunu and Ubaregin axis, follows what the community described as years of neglect and the alleged denial of its ancestral rights and entitlements in the oil-producing territories.
Speaking in an interview after a press briefing in Okogho on November 7, 2026, Mr Iranlowo Orighomisan Joseph, representative of Okogho community in OML-150, insisted that Ubanunu and Ubaregin were ancestral territories of the Okogho people, warning that the community’s enduring commitment to peace should not be mistaken for weakness or surrender of its legitimate interests.
Orighomisan maintained that the five oil wells were located within Warri North Local Government Area, citing historical maps and GPS coordinates which, according to him, establish the geographical position of the facilities within the Makarava Oil Field.
He further alleged that Chevron Nigeria Limited possessed documentary records recognising Okogho’s host community interests, urging the company to revisit its archives and address the issues raised by the community.
The community representative expressed concern over what he described as competing claims to Ubanunu and Ubaregin, insisting that the historical relationship between the territories and Okogho should not be disregarded.
“We are a peaceful and peace-loving people. All we want is for Chevron to recognise Okogho community and accord us our rightful entitlements as the host community. Our peaceful disposition should not be taken for granted,” he said.
He also disputed the claims of other communities to the disputed locations, arguing that they shared no common boundary with Okogho in the areas under contention. He specifically questioned the basis of Ubanunu claim and called for a proper examination of the relevant historical and official records.
Orighomisan further disclosed that Okogho and Omadino communities had previously entered into an agreement with Chevron Nigeria Limited concerning the Makarava Oil Field, maintaining that the relevant documents were available for verification.
He called on Chevron to demonstrate fairness and transparency by respecting existing agreements and engaging the affected communities in resolving the dispute through established legal and administrative channels.
He also appealed to relevant security agencies to intervene and prevent the disagreement from degenerating into a security crisis, stressing that lasting peace in the area would depend on justice, fairness and respect for legitimate community interests.
While reaffirming Okogho’s commitment to peaceful coexistence, Orighomisan said the community would continue to demand recognition of its ancestral claims and the development benefits it believes are due to it.
The community’s position, he stressed, was not a rejection of peaceful engagement but a demand for fairness, recognition and justice in the management of resources extracted from its ancestral territory.
