Some people from Ohaji, an oil-rich community in Imo State, came out on Thursday to protest. They were angry about years of damage to their environment and the arrest of a youth leader named Obinna Nwagbo.
The protest was led by a group called Ogbako Ohaji, a social and cultural organisation. Other local groups also joined. They said they are tired of the bad living conditions and the way oil companies are treating them.
In a statement released on Friday, the community leaders asked for the “immediate and unconditional release” of Nwagbo, who was arrested on March 8, 2025, and has been on trial in Abuja.
The statement was signed by several local leaders: Fidelis Enyia (Chairman, Ogbako Ohaji People’s Forum), Theodore Amunwa (General Secretary), Chioma Anyanwu (President, Ohaji Women Congress), and Nicholas Nwosu (President, National Congress of Ohaji Youths).
Enyia, who led the protest, said Nwagbo’s arrest was a way to scare people and stop them from speaking out against the oil company’s unfair treatment of the community.
They accused a company called Sterling Global Exploration and Production Limited of causing serious damage to the community through oil and gas activities.
The statement said the community has suffered from dirty air and water due to oil spills and gas flaring. Rivers and streams are now polluted, making clean drinking water hard to find. Many people are getting sick, and the roads and natural environment have been badly damaged.
They said the people of Ohaji have gained nothing from the large amounts of oil taken from their land, and they feel left behind and ignored.
The leaders want the polluted areas cleaned up and steps taken to stop more environmental harm in the future.
They also asked for major improvements in roads, hospitals, schools, and job opportunities to help solve unemployment in the area.
They told other oil companies to treat communities fairly and take care of the environment. They warned that people would no longer accept being ignored and mistreated.
“We want justice, fairness, and a better future for Ohaji,” the leaders said. “We will keep protesting until our demands are met.”
In response, a spokesperson for Sterling Global, Chijioke Ukwu, said the protest was likely driven by politics.
He added, “I can’t really say much because I wasn’t there. Maybe someone from the press who was at the scene can speak more about it. But I think some of the protesters were politically motivated.”
