People of the riverine Egrangbene Federated Communities in Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State have petitioned the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority over night sailing operations by Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company Limited within the Ramos River.
The community in a letter signed by Owen Nanakumoh Esq., a Warri-based legal practitioner and addressed to the Area Manager of the Authority, expressed concern that the night sails operations “have caused series of accidents, hazards, near hazards and several inhuman experiences”.
The petition was also addressed to SEEPCO, Joint Task Force 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 respectively.
The petitioners demanded among others that “NIWA should 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).
“The communities have been helpless, malnourished and bereft of their livelihoods due to the night sails of the vessels of SEEPCO.
“The people of the communities, particularly pregnant women, children, men, women who are mainly fishers at night are going through serious life challenges including miscarriages, destruction of fishing nets, traps, canoes, which are recorded on weekly basis as a result of several accidents caused by the night sails of vessels of SEEPCO.
“Most of the hazards are often recorded in times of rains at nights due to night dews and fogs, due to the narrow nature of the River Ramos.
“Buildings and jetties have been severally destroyed because some of the vessels ran into the communities.
“All entreaties to make SEEPCO discontinue the activities of night sails by its vessels have only met with serious maltreatment by security men of the oil vessels against the people of Egrangbene Federated Communities.
“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.
“At the meeting, SEEPCO justified their night operation on the premise that your good offices 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”, the petition read in part.
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