Taabaa Community Threatens Land Reclamation Over Exclusion From Industrial Park Benefits
By Dormene Mbea
The Taabaa community in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State has protested its exclusion from the list of host communities for the proposed Ogoni Industrial Park, warning that it may reclaim its land if authorities fail to recognise its contribution to the project.
Leaders of the community called on President Bola Tinubu, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Rivers State Government and relevant security agencies to urgently intervene and compel those in charge of the project to include Taabaa among recognised host communities.
The Ogoni Industrial Park is a key component of agreements reached between the Federal Government and the Ogoni people through the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, designed as a confidence-building measure ahead of the planned resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland.
Speaking on behalf of the community, a monarch, Chief Pyagbara Prosper Gote-Nee-uwe (Mene Asaa), who also serves as Secretary of the Barasi-Taabaa Council of Chiefs, Elders, Community Development Committee and youths, described the exclusion as unjust and unacceptable.
He disclosed that Taabaa contributed a significant portion of the 40 hectares of land handed over to the Federal Government through the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, noting that about 54 plots of the community’s land were captured in the survey for the project.
According to him, concerns had earlier been raised with the Ogoni Dialogue Committee during the land survey process, and assurances were given that Taabaa would be recognised at the point of formal handover.
“On August 21, 2025, we raised concerns and were invited by the committee. We presented our case that part of Taabaa land was included in the survey.
They told us not to worry and advised us to suspend any action, assuring us that we would be consulted and recognised,” he said.
Gote-Nee-uwe, however, expressed shock that the community was not mentioned during the official recognition of host communities, despite its documented contribution.
While reaffirming support for the industrial park project, he stressed that the community’s sacrifice must not be ignored.
“We are not against the project. It will bring development to the area, but our contribution must be acknowledged.
If we are not included as a host community, then the survey plan should be reviewed and our land returned to us,” he added. Also speaking, the acting youth leader of Barasi-Taabaa, Mr Godspower Mbaedee, warned that the community would not accept losing its land without due recognition, insisting that authorities must either include Taabaa among host communities or return the land to its rightful owners.
