Ibou, Eminama and Dorgu-Ewoama communities, all in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State are spoiling for war over the ownership of Ibou Forest and Iyallakiri Creek oil location following claims by some families in Eminama and Dorgu-Ewoama that they own the contentious portion of land.

Meanwhile, the people of Ibou community have called on the Bayelsa state government to intervene and restrain Eminama and Dorgu-Ewoama communities from the said land to avoid a breakdown of law and order, stressing that the ownership claim was capable of igniting communal crisis in the area.

The Ibou community in a petition to the Special Adviser (Oil and Gas) to Governor Seriake Dickson, signed by Chief Ipogolanyo Daw-Feghawari and others, stated that the land in question has been in existence for over 120 years and never in dispute or disputed by anybody, except for the latest claims by Eminama and Dorgu-Ewoama.

Describing the claims of the two families as “ignorance and greed”, the Ibou community said as a peace- loving people, they were ready to defend their ancestral heritage through a peaceful and law- abiding process and advised the Bayelsa State government not to be misled by a few self-seeking persons.”

It added: “The Ibou community, therefore, advises the Bayelsa state government and the public to disregard the purported claims as they want to reap where they did not sow.”