The Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority (OCIA) has vowed to resist the planned resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland. This was stated during a peaceful protest in Kpite, Tai Local Government Area on Sunday, October 12 2025.
The group carrying placards bearing inscriptions like “Stop oil resumption in Ogoni now” cited deprivation, non-community inclusion, and lack of transparency in the ongoing Ogoni clean–up as the basis for their position.
A US-based president of the group, Mr Goodluck Diigbo, in his address transmitted online, reaffirmed the group’s readiness to resist the federal government’s oil resumption plan.
According to him, OCIA, as a sovereign institution representing the Ogoni people, is determined to ensure that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples(UNDRIP) is implemented without further delay.
“We reject any attempt by the Nigerian government to exploit our land without our consent. This declaration is not merely political but in the best interest of our people.
“We will not forget in a hurry our sufferings over two decades ago, the devastating impact of an inhumane oil exploitation which claimed over 33,000 lives, poisoned our water bodies and degraded our environment.
‘The federal government oil business in Ogoni land, rather than attract development and lift the people out of poverty, left a devastating scar; this is the reason we must resist oil resumption to avoid a repeat,” Diigbo said.
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Diigbo, however, noted that the group remained open to embracing genuine investors who would also prioritise the safety of lives and the environment in their quest for business profits.
Additionally, the administrative leader of the province, Madam Sorbarisere Loveday, who led the peaceful protest, stated that the exercise was a demonstration against the planned resumption of oil operations in the area.
According to her, the exercise, which started in Eleme province without interruption, experienced slight hitches in Tai as the paramount ruler of Tai tried to silence the people.
“Here in Kpite, the Paramount Ruler, King Samuel Nnee, ganged up against unarmed protesters who were legitimately demanding their rights.
Loveday noted that despite all odds, the OCIA remained committed to the protection of rights as well as the preservation of the Ogoni ecosystem.
However, addressing the protesters before finally dispersing them, the paramount ruler of Kpite, King Samuel Nnee, alleged that there is presently a standing order by a court of competent jurisdiction barring rights activism in Ogoniland.
It could be recalled that President Bola Tinubu had recently directed the national security adviser to engage Ogoni communities and stakeholders to finalise how oil production could resume in the area.
