A statement attributed to Bayelsa State Information Commissioner Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai says Governor Douye Diri ordered an oil lease operator to halt land acquisition in Brass after a dispute left one dead and several seriously injured.
The statement, reproduced by GreyFeeds and reported by Premium Times, says the pause covers all land acquisition activity throughout Brass Local Government Area and remains in place until another notice is issued. It identifies Dieama and Okpoama as the communities involved and says police restored peace. The statement also says Diri urged residents, particularly young people, to avoid actions that could worsen tensions.
The reproduced statement names AITEO. Premium Times identified the company as Nembe Exploration & Production Company (Nembe E&P). Victor Okoronkwo, Nembe E&P's group managing director, said in a 2025 interview that Aiteo Eastern E&P had been renamed Nembe E&P and that it operated Oil Mining Lease 29 (OML 29).
Shell said its subsidiary completed a sale to Aiteo Eastern E&P Company Ltd. on March 25, 2015, covering its interest in OML 29 and the Nembe Creek Trunk Line. Shell's announcement lists the Nembe, Santa Barbara and Okoroba fields within the block, which spans 983 square kilometers.
