Delta Oil Find Triggers Family Rift Over Sterling Global Land Agreement
By ESTHER McWILLIS-IKHIDE & BLESSING AGWE ODUGO
A fresh crude oil discovery in Okpe-Isoko community, Delta State, has triggered a dispute over land ownership and representation, with the Adhakpor family rejecting a purported lease agreement allegedly entered into with Sterling Global Limited.
The family insists that the individuals involved lacked the authority to negotiate or sign any agreement concerning its land. However, the President General of Okpe-Isoko community, Chief Fred Efeh, maintains that the family was represented on the committee established to negotiate the proposed lease.
The disagreement has heightened tensions within the community as questions emerge over ownership of the oil-bearing land, the representation of the family’s different branches and the legitimacy of the reported transaction.
Family Disowns Purported Agreement
In a statement, the Adhakpor family said it neither authorised nor mandated any individual or group to negotiate, execute or enter into a lease agreement, memorandum of understanding or related document with Sterling Global Limited concerning its land.
Consequently, it described the purported transaction as unauthorised and unacceptable, insisting that no person could bind the family to an agreement without its express mandate.
The family said its duly constituted and elected executives, alongside other authorised representatives, had been empowered to protect its interests and handle negotiations, engagements and documentation involving the property.
According to the statement, the family selected its recognised representatives through a resolution reached at its general meeting on 4 October 2026.
It therefore directed that all negotiations, documentation and implementation of any transaction involving the land must proceed exclusively through those representatives.
The family also warned prospective investors and other stakeholders against dealing with individuals who lacked its authorisation. It maintained that any agreement concluded outside the mandate granted by the family should not be regarded as binding on it.
The family said its position was intended to promote transparency, accountability, proper representation, unity and peace while safeguarding its rights and interests.
Dispute Over Negotiation Committee
Beyond rejecting the purported agreement, the Adhakpor family accused a community leader and some residents of introducing people who were not members of the family into the negotiation committee.
It objected to the alleged inclusion of outsiders, arguing that only recognised family members should participate in committees responsible for negotiating or deliberating on matters affecting its land.
The Head of the Adhakpor family, Chief Ide Abade, said he was arrested by the community leadership because he opposed the purported lease agreement with Sterling Global Limited.
Abade added that the family was preparing to seek judicial redress, maintaining that people who did not belong to the family had no authority to negotiate or execute agreements concerning its property.
The dispute, therefore, involves not only the legitimacy of the reported lease but also competing claims about who can represent the family in negotiations over a potentially valuable natural resource.
Community President General Offers a Different Account
However, Efeh disputed the family’s position that it was improperly represented during the negotiations.
He stated that the Adhakpor family had two branches, commonly referred to as “gates,” and that the controversy arose from their disagreement over ownership of the portion of land where the oil well was discovered.
According to him, one branch claimed that its forefather had divided the land and that the oil-bearing portion belonged exclusively to it.
The other branch, he explained, argued that proceeds from the land, including palm trees and other natural resources, should benefit the entire Adhakpor family rather than one branch alone.
Efeh said the exploration company approached the traditional institution and the community before negotiations began. He added that he was present during the engagement and that the community subsequently established a negotiation committee comprising representatives of both branches.
He maintained that the committee initially had proper family representation but that some representatives later withdrew, contributing to the disagreement.
His account contrasts with the family’s claim that the people involved lacked the authority to represent it and that the purported agreement should not be recognised.
Company & Traditional Ruler Yet to Clarify Positions
Efforts to obtain a substantive response from the Community Relations Manager of Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO), Rotimi Bakari, were unsuccessful.
Bakari reportedly declined to respond to the questions by telephone and asked the correspondent to visit his office in Warri for further discussion.
Meanwhile, attempts to reach the Ovie of Okpe-Isoko for comment also proved unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to his telephone lines had not received responses by the time of reporting.
With the competing accounts unresolved, the dispute raises important questions about land rights, family representation and the procedures governing negotiations over oil-bearing property.
The Adhakpor family says it intends to pursue legal action. Until the parties clarify their respective mandates and the status of the purported agreement, the dispute over who can legitimately negotiate on behalf of the family remains unresolved.
