Defamation: How Oil Companies Spark Disputes in Nigeria: The Case of Energia Ltd. and Emu-Obodeti Community

Abstract

This paper is the third in a three-pronged study of the activities and effects of the marginal farm out by Elf Nigeria Ltd to Energia Ltd on the three critical communities hosting the farmee and more importantly on the negative impact that association with Energia Ltd has had on host-families in the three communities of Ogbole-Ogume, Emu-Ebendo and Emu-Obodeti. This study which adopts doctrinal method tries to survey the negative impacts through court litigation. The court processes are critically brought to the fore to demonstrate that even though Energia Ltd was not party to the cases, its presence and activities gave rise to the disputes. Of the three communities, it was in this particular study that many lives were lost and human security concerns were raised arising from the violent conflicts and factional approaches in which the disputes were fought outside the court. Energia Ltd has been unable to go into operations in Obodeti because nerves have been frayed. It was found that so much stock was placed on the beneficial expectations from the economic activities of Energia Ltd that members of the community became so fractious that the commensality associated with such micro communities before the advent of Energia Ltd was betrayed and took flight. Even family members became enemies on the eve of the coming of Energia Ltd to the extent that they began to eliminate one another in the night before dawn such that ‘with the blood flowing on the street’ before operation could even begin, Energia Ltd retreated. It was therefore concluded that not much blame could be apportioned to Energia Ltd. More had depended on the greed and violent dispositions of the factions identified in this study and it is recommended that formal and informal economies should grow outside the notions of oil and gas as the mainstay of the economy.