Delta Communities Cry Out As Lawyer Petitions NIWA Over Deadly Night Sailings By SEEPCO VESSELS

Acting on behalf of the people of Egrangbene Federated Communities, Nanakumoh stated that the night sailings by SEEPCO vessels have caused numerous accidents, near misses, and hazardous incidents that have significantly disrupted the lives and livelihoods of local residents.

According to the petition, communities including Egrangbene, Abadarama, Ekumugbene, Ekogbene, Ebeberegbene, Egolegbene, Ayama, Kantele/Odisgbene, Youmugbene, Etorozibagbene, Dambodou-Ama, Torou-Egrangbene, Tamorekogbene, Gesiam, Tarekiri, Ayalogbene, Daufakere-Oba, Tama-Egrangbene, Dwamatibo, Ebikemegbene, Ebilade, and Beinmou-Ama have been rendered helpless, malnourished, and economically displaced as a result of these night-time navigations.

Nanakumoh claimed that pregnant women, children, men, and women—many of whom are night-time fishers—have suffered serious consequences, including the loss of children, miscarriages, and destruction of fishing equipment such as nets, traps, and canoes, with incidents recorded weekly.

He highlighted that most accidents occur during rainy nights, under heavy dew, fog, or during harmattan, owing to the narrow and treacherous nature of the Ramos River. The petition also alleged that several buildings and jetties have been damaged by SEEPCO vessels crashing into riverine communities.

The legal practitioner lamented that all appeals to SEEPCO to halt what he described as “nefarious” and “unscrupulous” activities have been met with disdain and maltreatment of residents, allegedly at the behest of SEEPCO’s security operatives acting under management orders.

He further accused SEEPCO of ignoring existing laws and official gazettes prohibiting night sailings, stating that the company’s actions fly in the face of the NIWA Act and various Federal Government directives.

“In light of the above, our client embarked on an inevitable civil protest on 22nd March 2025 against SEEPCO’s vessels. This led to both parties being summoned by the Joint Task Force (JTF), South-South Operations, Delta Safe, at Igbogene, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State,” the petition reads.

“At the meeting, SEEPCO justified their night operations by claiming that your office had granted them permission to sail at night, despite the extant NIWA Act and official gazettes forbidding such activity.

“However, our clients reject this claim, as it suggests SEEPCO is above the law—putting the lives, wellbeing, and livelihoods of Nigerian citizens at grave risk.”

The petition, which was also copied to the Joint Task Force (JTF), South-South Operations, Delta Safe; the Ministry of Environment, Delta State; the Chairman, Burutu Local Government Area; the Commissioner of Police, Delta State; the Ministry of Oil and Gas, Delta State; and the Ministers of Transport and Petroleum (Oil), demanded clarification from NIWA on several key issues.

These include whether night sailing by such large vessels has been legalised in Nigeria; whether SEEPCO has indeed been granted a night-sailing permit regardless of the safety of host communities; and whether the people of the affected communities are not entitled to the inalienable rights guaranteed under Sections 33 and 34 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).