The Ogoni Liberation Initiative (OLI), a community-based organisation leading the affairs of the Ogoni people, has pledged to recover the $300 million in compensation owed to the Ogoni people from the spillages of Oil Mining Lease (OML 11) operations.
President of the Initiative, Dr. Douglas Fabeke, in Port Harcourt on Thursday, disclosed that after a lengthy legal battle and an out-of-court settlement regarding the spillage of OML 11, where the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) was obliged to pay $300 million in compensation to the Ogoni people, no concrete steps have yet been taken to ensure that the victims access the funds.
He lamented that the Ogoniland land remains a shadow of its potential, adding that the people still live in poverty, with youths torn between hopelessness and frustration. Yet, the government’s insincerity in resolving the issues in Ogoni land has prolonged the pains.
According to Fabeke, the $300 million fund was allegedly paid to the Rivers State Government via an out-of-court settlement under the administration of former Governor Nyesom Wike, instead of the Ogoni people. He stated that the management of NNPCL has failed to brief the people on the matter nor accounted for the fund.
He said, “On 14 July 2025, the NNPCL acknowledged our demand notice for the fund through our legal representative. The Organisation shall embark on a legal battle, one that shakes the history of Nigeria to recover all the resources of the Ogoni people. We ask: Where is the $300 million compensation? Who authorised the payment to the state government instead of the Ogoni people, the rightful victims and stakeholders in this matter? Who represented the Ogoni people during the out-of-court settlement?
What was that money used for? We are demanding full disclosure.
“We are demanding that justice be done. We will pursue this matter legally, politically, and publicly until the truth is exposed and our people are compensated accordingly.”
Fabake stated that the Ogoni communities are still suffering from the trauma of displacement and bloodshed under the Sani Abacha regime; hence, there is no moral justification to continue oil operations in Ogoniland.
He warned, “If you continue to operate in these traumatised communities, we will challenge you in court. We will resist you with every lawful means available. We will not sit back while the same cycle of exploitation and deceit repeats itself. This is not the 1990s. We are not unorganised. We are not uninformed. And we are not afraid. We shall resist them legally.”
He urged the Federal Government to adhere to the African Charter and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report, which stipulates that no oil exploration should resume until proper environmental and social restoration is carried out in Ogoniland.
He said the initiative has been on the frontlines in the Ogoni fight for justice through continuous sensitisation and orientation across communities, implementing programs aimed at promoting unity, reviving the economy, and fostering responsible civic participation.
