A State High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, has declared Otuabagi Community in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state as the rightful owners of the first crude oil well discovered in commercial quantity in Nigeria, popularly known as “Oloibiri Oil Well”.
Tribune Online learnt that the court ruling was necessitated as a result of a suit challenging the demand by the people of Oloibiri Community forcing the federal government to relocate the proposed Oloibiri Museum and Research Centre Project from Otuabagi.
The presiding Judge, Justice Simon Amaduobogha, also ruled that the Oloibiri Museum and Research Centre should be sited in Otuabagi, as it is the original birthplace of the famous Oloibiri oil well.
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The Court gave the order in a suit marked OHC/10/2021 which was filed by Oloibiri Community against the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bayelsa State Government, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Shell Petroleum Development Company, Otuabagi, Otuogidi and Opume Communities.
Delivering his judgement on Wednesday, Justice Simon Amaduobogha ruled, “Given that a consent Judgement cannot be appealed against, this development is no doubt laid to rest the hitherto entrenched misconception that Crude oil was first discovered in commercial quantity elsewhere, wherein it was truly first discovered in commercial quantity and quality in Otuabagi Community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State of Nigeria.
“Oloibiri Community to desist from demanding a relocation of the Museum and Research Centre Project or any part thereof since the earmarked project can only be sited where artefacts such as the first oil well are located.”
and then