SOME concerned landowners in Bayelsa State have staged a peaceful demonstration against the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, accusing the oil company of land grabbing for the Akenfa/Okarki section of its Enwhe-Gbarain Phase 3A pipeline project.

The aggrieved land owners, who marched to the project site located along the Yenegwe-Okarki-Kolo Road, on Wednesday alleged that SPDC had destroyed their property as a result of the project.

They also complained that the oil firm forcefully carried out excavation and laying of pipes, while threatening to use the military to deal with them should they (land owners) stop the project.

The angry protesters brandished placards with various inscriptions such as, ‘Shell, pay us before you use our land’, ‘Shell is wicked’, ‘Several buildings have been destroyed by Shell’, ‘Shell has refused to pay compensation for buildings destroyed’.

The incident, however, disrupted work at the site as the workers were forced to stop work.

The land owners also took their demonstration to the gate of Morpol Engineering Services, the contractors handling the job for the SPDC.

Speaking at the project site, Ms Ebipadei Ariwei, who led the protest, said, “We are here to protest Shell’s refusal to pay us compensation for our lands that they have destroyed. Without our knowledge, they came to the site and destroyed my building and started laying pipes.”

When contacted, a spokesperson for Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited said, “We are engaging the concerned landowners to resolve the issues at stake amicably.”