The people of oil-rich Kokodiagbene Community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, have issued a strong protest to Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), warning the oil company to desist from allegedly conniving with the Itsekiri ethnic group in the ongoing registration of the Otunana (Utulala) field under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
In a letter dated June 13, 2025, addressed to the General Manager, PGPA Lagos; Area Manager, Warri; and the Operations Manager, Escravos, Kokodiagbene accused Chevron of facilitating a process to register the field at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as part of the Abiteye, Makaraba and Utonana Host Communities Development Trust (AMU-HCDT), in favour of Itsekiri communities.
The protest letter, signed by Comrade Ark Selegha (Chairman) and Gabriel Ukuli (General Secretary), alleged that the move is part of Chevron’s divide-and-rule strategy to sideline the rightful host community of the field.
The community stated that the field—originally known as Utulala—is located within Kokodiagbene territory, less than five kilometres from the town, and claimed that the name “Otunana” is a distorted version introduced over time.
The letter reads in part: “The people of oil rich Kokodiagbene Community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, write, in a strong-worded protest petition, against as well as reject the ongoing registration of Otunana (Utulala) field by the Itsekiri ethnic group, facilitated by Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) as Abiteye, Makaraba and Utonana (AMU-HCDT) for Itsekiri benefiting communities.
“It will interest CNL’s management and the general public to know that Kokodiagbene Community is the rightful owner of Utulala now being referred to as Otunana flowstation, situated in the community, less than 5km from the main town of the community.”
The people of Kokodiagbene in the protest letter also alleged that the fraudulent registration of the AMU-HCDT by Chevron is a ploy by the Itsekiri to falsely solidify their claim on the field, and warned that should Chevron fail to stop forthwith with the registration, it will lead to a total shut down of the flowstation permanently.
“It is imperative to send this warning and caution against any purported attempt by CNL, in connivance with some top Itsekiri management staff, to register the flowstation in an attempt to buttress their fraudulent fictitious claim.
“This serves as a last warning against CNL to desist from its old strategy of adopting divide-and-rule tactics by instigating ethnic conflict to enable them employ and deploy their kins men from outside their area of operations.
“We warn again, that we will not condone this evil act which will no longer be tolerated and allowed to continue, and to avoid a total shut down of Chevron operations in the area, as we condemn in strong terms this anomaly and injustice meted on the good and peace loving people of Kokodiagbene Community.”
“We therefore ask that Chevron stops forthwith with any further registration process as it concerns Otunana (Utulala) field. A stitch in time, they say, saves Nine,” they warned.
