Bayelsa Monarch Denies Mining Firm's Role in Violence

HRH Ingo Ikele Ikaba, the Amadabo of Diema in Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, has dismissed allegations that Nembe Exploration and Production Company Limited was involved in the communal violence that led to the death of his younger brother, Alfred Ojoko, on October 19, 2026. Ikaba stated that the company's land acquisition activities were peaceful and unrelated to the incident.

He identified disputes over black sand mining, land boundaries, and community resources as potential sources of tension that require investigation. Following the incident, the Bayelsa State Government suspended Nembe E&P's land acquisition activities, which the company rejected, demanding a public retraction and threatening legal action.

Ikaba emphasized that the land acquisition process had been ongoing since early last year without major incidents and that both Dieama and Ikei communities had cooperated in facilitating development. He urged the public to avoid spreading unverified accounts that could misrepresent the circumstances surrounding his brother's death.