By COMMUNITY representatives and concerned stakeholders from Ilaje have issued a strong rejoinder to a press release titled “Unwarranted Ambition and Mischief Behind the So-called N400 Million OSOPADEC Protest,” rejecting what they described as misleading, defamatory and inaccurate claims against protesters and community leaders.
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In a statement made available to Stonix News on Sunday, the communities insisted that their action amounted to a lawful and peaceful protest protected under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and not an orchestrated or criminal venture as alleged.
“The attempt to label our protest as ill-motivated or orchestrated is a clear misrepresentation of facts and a violation of our constitutional rights,” the statement said, warning that any attempt to suppress peaceful protest amounted to an infringement of citizens’ rights.
The signatories accused the Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Prince Biyi Poroye, of refusing to implement a directive approved by the state governor for community compensation, a decision they said escalated tensions and culminated in intimidation, destruction of property and arson in Jedo, Obe-Adun and Obenla communities on 18 October 2025.
They maintained that the incidents were widely reported and known to the public, disputing claims that the unrest was linked to illegal bunkering.
They further criticised security operations in parts of Ilaje during the period, alleging that the Nigerian Navy acted in a high-handed manner, though they acknowledged that the situation later de-escalated.
The communities rejected any attempt to criminalise their grievances, insisting they were law-abiding citizens engaged in legitimate economic activities.
In defence of one of the protest leaders, Pastor Okun Omosohane Micheal Obadiah, the communities dismissed allegations that he demanded money or threatened to shut down the commission.
According to them, his presence at OSOPADEC was solely to convey community displeasure over what they described as the commission’s failure to act on the governor’s approval.
“At no time did he request money for personal gain or issue threats,” the statement stressed.
They also expressed disappointment that OSOPADEC management allegedly approved a publication describing their protest as linked to illegal bunkering.
“It is appalling that the injustice meted out to our people was reduced to accusations of illegal activity, even when lives and properties were endangered,” the statement added, demanding an immediate retraction and public apology.
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However, OSOPADEC, in its own response, described the protest at its headquarters as “needless, ill-motivated and theatrically orchestrated,” insisting it was driven by personal ambition rather than genuine community welfare.
The Commission said it was compelled to respond in the interest of public clarity and factual accuracy, even though it would ordinarily not dignify such actions with an official reaction.
The Commission recalled that the crisis followed a military operation carried out on 18 October 2025 in Obe-Nla, Obe-Adun and Obe-Jedo communities after the discovery of illegal bunkering activities.
According to OSOPADEC, the operation resulted in damage to some structures and injuries to residents when suspects resisted arrest.
It said the Board, led by Chairman Prince Biyi Poroye, subsequently visited the affected communities and the Nigerian Navy’s Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda, before seeking and receiving the governor’s approval on 7 January 2026 to provide humanitarian palliatives.
OSOPADEC firmly denied claims that ₦400 million was released or earmarked for the personal use of the chairman, describing such allegations as “entirely false, baseless and a figment of the imagination of purveyors of misinformation.”
The Commission said a nine-man Implementation Committee was constituted to assess damages and oversee the equitable distribution of approved palliatives, adding that it rejected any attempt to place public funds under the control of an individual.
It maintained that the protest was triggered after the chairman declined demands that the funds be handed over personally, stressing that accountability, due process and transparency would not be compromised.
Reiterating that they are law-abiding citizens engaged in legitimate economic activities, the communities rejected any attempt to malign their character or criminalise their protest.
They demanded an immediate retraction of the disputed publication and a public apology, warning that failure to do so would further deepen mistrust between the commission and oil-producing communities.
The rejoinder was signed by several community representatives, including Lucky Ajimuda, Pastor Okun Omosohane Obadiah, Adewunmi Inojulawo, Olowo Ogbolo, Monday Mekuleyi, Oke Alomore, Oke Oyinbo and Tunde Jedo.
