The Adhakpor family in Okpe-Isoko community, Delta State, has rejected a purported land lease agreement allegedly entered into with Sterling Global Limited for the exploration and development of land where oil was discovered.
The family described the agreement as unauthorised, insisting that the individuals who allegedly negotiated or executed the deal lacked the mandate to represent its interests.
In a statement, the family said it did not authorise any individual or group to negotiate or execute a lease agreement, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), or any related document with Sterling Global Limited concerning its land.
It maintained that no person could legally bind the family to an agreement without a specific mandate granted by the family.
According to the statement, the family’s duly elected executives and other recognised representatives were empowered to protect its interests and handle negotiations and documentation concerning the disputed property.
The family said the authorised representatives emerged from a resolution reached at its general meeting on October 4, 2026.
Consequently, it directed that all negotiations, documentation and transactions involving its land must be conducted exclusively through representatives recognised by the family.
It also warned prospective investors and other stakeholders against dealing with individuals who lacked its express authorisation, stressing that any agreement entered into without its mandate would not be recognised as binding on the family.
The statement said the position was intended to promote transparency, accountability, unity and peace while safeguarding the family’s rights and interests.
The Adhakpor family further alleged that a community leader, working with some community members, introduced individuals who were not members of the family into a negotiation committee set up to discuss matters concerning its land.
It objected to the alleged move, insisting that only recognised members of the family should participate in committees handling negotiations over its interests.
Family Head Alleges Arrest
The Head of the Adhakpor family, Chief Ide Abade, told Sunday Vanguard that he was arrested by the community leadership over his opposition to the purported lease agreement with Sterling Global Limited.
Abade said the family was preparing to seek legal redress, arguing that individuals who were not members of the family had no authority to negotiate or enter into agreements concerning its land.
However, the President-General of Okpe-Isoko Community, Chief Fred Efeh, offered a different account of the dispute.
Efeh told Sunday Vanguard that the Adhakpor family was represented on the committee constituted to negotiate the lease agreement.
He explained that the controversy stemmed from a disagreement between two branches, commonly referred to as “gates,” of the Adhakpor family over ownership of the land where the oil well was discovered.
According to him, one branch maintained that its forefather had shared the land among family members and that the portion containing the oil well belonged exclusively to it.
“The other one is saying, no, that the palm trees and all other natural resources that may come from there are supposed to be for all of them, not only one gate of the Adhakpor family,” Efeh said.
He explained that following the oil discovery, the company involved in the exploration approached the traditional institution and the community in accordance with established procedures.
Efeh said consultations were held and a negotiation committee comprising representatives of the two family branches was subsequently constituted.
He, however, alleged that some representatives later withdrew from the negotiations, contributing to the disagreement over the committee’s composition and the proposed agreement.
His account contrasts with the family’s position that those involved in the purported transaction lacked the authority to represent it.
Sterling Oil, Traditional Ruler Yet to Respond
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Community Relations Manager of Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO), Mr Rotimi Bakari, were unsuccessful.
Bakari told Sunday Vanguard that he could not respond to the enquiries over the telephone and asked the correspondent to visit his office in Warri, Delta State, for further discussion.
Efforts to reach the traditional ruler of Okpe-Isoko, the Ovie of the community, also proved unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to his telephone lines had not received a response as of press time.
The dispute comes amid competing claims over the ownership of the oil-bearing land, the authority to negotiate on behalf of the Adhakpor family and the proposed distribution of benefits arising from the discovery.
