Tensions are escalating in Nigeria�s oil-rich Niger Delta as host communities in the KEFFES region of Bayelsa State have issued a 14-day ultimatum to NNPC Exploration & Production Limited (NEPL), threatening to halt oil production at Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 86 and 88. The warning, detailed in a letter dated March 28, 2025, and obtained by *The Guardian*, stems from a dispute over security vessel contracts, which the communities claim have been unjustly altered, jeopardizing both their agreements and regional stability.
The letter, signed by community leaders including Chairman Christopher Tuduo (Ezetu 1), Dr. Amakiri Ngozi (Fishtown), Tuadei Alex C. (Ezetu 2), Aneri Ebimene (Ekeni), Ileberi Ebiwei (Koluama 2), Thankgod Bunafigha (Koluama 1), Saighe Martins (Ezetu 2), Ekemeghuesuotei Sese (Foropa), and Uroh Kiani (Sangana), accuses Pennington Production Limited�a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and operator of OMLs 86 and 88�of terminating a contract with Multiplan Nigeria Limited, a community-nominated security firm. The company also reduced the number of community security vessels from three to two, awarding one of the remaining contracts to an external firm unfamiliar to the KEFFES communities.
The communities argue that this move violates longstanding agreements established when Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) operated the fields. In 2007, CNL introduced three security vessels to quell unrest and ensure safety in the oil fields, which had been plagued by instability. When NEPL took over OMLs 86 and 88 from Chevron in 2021, it pledged to honor all existing contracts and liabilities, including those tied to the security vessels, which the communities assert are their assets. They insist that any changes to these arrangements require their consent.
The letter states, �KHCDT is demanding the immediate reinstatement of all three security vessel contracts, full payment of outstanding invoices from 2024, and an urgent meeting with NEPL�s management within seven days to resolve the issue.� The communities have vowed to mobilize all available resources to shut down production at OMLs 86 and 88 if their demands are not met within the 14-day deadline, a move that could further strain Nigeria�s already fragile oil sector. In February, the country�s crude oil output dropped to an average of 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd), down from 1.737 million bpd in January, underscoring the vulnerability of its production capacity.
The KEFFES region, encompassing eight coastal communities in Bayelsa State, has warned that NEPL�s actions undermine the trust and cooperation that have maintained peace in the area. �This is not only contrary to the established agreements but also threatens the peace and stability of the KEFFES region,� the letter reads. With the ultimatum now in effect, the clock is ticking for NEPL to address the grievances or face a potential production halt that could ripple through Nigeria�s oil-dependent economy.
