"The crisis in Ugborodo reached its limit on May 29, 1999, when the Ijaws, in 46 speedboats with at least 20 people in each, landed in Ugborodo. More than 3,000 houses got burnt in the attack. Antiquities dating back to the 15th century and that are worth several millions of naira were either burnt or carried away. The palace of our ruler, Olaja-Oriri, was burnt to the ground. Many of our people were killed. Those who escaped became refugees in Warri, Benin City, Ughelli, Sapele and other neighbouring towns.

"Since this episode, we.ve been trying to reach the Federal and Delta State Government to come to the aid of the refugees but up till now there.s been no response. Chevron the multi-national oil company, owes the community over 110 million naira over the sale of 141 hectares of land for a Chevron gas plant. But in our moment of crisis, when the money could help in resettling the refugees, Chevron has not paid. Instead Chevron has chosen to play politics on a tragedy that it has indirectly caused in Ugborodo.

"All we have worked for has been burnt down, our cash, everything we own at Ugborodo has been destroyed, people were killed, women raped, houses burnt, the Independent life of the people gone as they've now become beggars in their various places of refuge. We now beg to live, we've become homeless people we feel that Chevron, which has been exploiting us for decades, and the government should come to our aid.

"The fact that Chevron has chosen to play politics with us in annoying. While it is reaping billions of naira from us it has not developed the town. There is no good water supply, no good schools, the roads are mere bush paths. We are fishermen but due to the environmental problem caused by Chevron's activities, we can no longer fish. Their activities have ensured that the ocean repeatedly washes away our land.

"In fact, we've lost 160 hectares of land to the sea due to oil exploration. The aquatic and terrestrial lives have changed and the crops are now stunted. The soil is no longer fertile. There are no flowers, there is always flood of Ugborodo, the land is sinking, causing us to fear that Escravos or Ugborodo will one day be washed away. If Chevron could cause this for a kingdom that was established in 1438 and our people are currently suffering in exile, we feel it should be sympathetic to us and be true in its dealing with us. We don't feel that Chevron is currently doing so.

"There was talk that 25 million Naria was paid to Ugborodo people in order to cushion them over the effects of the May 29 episode but the traditional ruler, the Olaja-Oriri has not seen it. The people have not seen the money, we heard that the money was paid to some Ugborodo people living in Lagos, but this is not right, Government and multi-nationals reach the people through the traditional ruler. The absence of such traditional ruler means loss of focus and loss of direction, it's the only one who can talk to the Government, oil companies and the people of Ugborodo. Why did Chevron not go through him in the payment of compensation money?"

"Chevron is not doing anything for us in Ugborodo. Since the May 29 crisis the displaced people of Ugborodo have been in exile. We have not returned to Ugborodo, we are clamouring for our traditional ruler to go back to Ugborodo, but there's no shelter for him or us there. Where is the finance to start all over again? Chevron is doing nothing about it, no relief materials have been sent to the refugees. We live by the grace of God.

"Chevron is saying that it wants to help the refugees but that is not true. It is interested in helping the faction in Lagos that is anti-people. It is not interested in reaching the people through the traditional ruler whom we all respect. Chevron gave the compensation money over the land sale to 3 wealthy people of Ugborodo descent in Lagos than to the traditional ruler, who would then reach the people.

"The reason why Chevron prefers to deal with these people is clear. They are the ones who fight the people. They are the ones who take the compensation money and know how to give a few ones among us so that there can be no common ground with which to fight Chevron for destroying the socio-economic basis of the people in the last few decades. Chevron likes this, it does not want the people of Ugborodo to co-operate with one another because it fears that we'll demand for our rights. It's doing everything to make sure that we're not united, its way of doing this is a to play us against each other.

"But this does not surprise us, Chevron's double standard with us shows itself at Ugborodo itself. In the evening the ocean floods the whole of Ugborodo making the place uninhabitable. Chevron sand-filled its own part of Ugborodo so that there would be no flood there. But it did not sand fill the place where the natives of Ugborodo live in. We all know why there's flooding. It is caused by the oil exploration activities of Chevron. Chevron is making the people suffer for their mistakes. It is ironical that it's the people who have the oil. Chevron is evil, it is making sure that we can't fight it with one voice by giving money to a faction who will then give peanuts to some youths to fight themselves, so that the community does not fight Chevron."

"Chevron gives compensation money to the people who want to thrive on us. Just before the May 29, 1999 episode, there was an oil spill in the areas around Ugborodo you could see the oil on the water. Chevron gave compensations. But how much got to my hand? 200 naira. What can this do to change my life? How can this succour me from the environmental damage that has been done to Ugborodo due to Chevron's activities?"

"I've been in exile since May 29, 1999. I left my community after my palace was set ablaze that day. The attackers did not come alone, they came with men in military uniform. They had real military weapons. I've been trying to reach government to come to our aid but it has not listened to me. And the multinational companies have not listened to us. I appeal to government and Chevron to come to my aid and rebuild my palace as well as aid the displaced persons. This is important because if the original settlers of Ugborodo are not at peace, Chevron can't be safe at all at Ugborodo.

"My domain today is that of emptiness. All of us are in exile, and we met people who have come from there recently. The information is that of pain, never of joy. The environment at Ugborodo is hostile: people without jobs, without market, without hope. It's time Chevron and the government talked to me about how to alleviate the tragic plight of my people. Because the fear now is that we don't want our land turned into a place of history, which is becoming the case as the ability to reproduce ourselves has been taken from us by the crisis in the region.

"Chevron bought land from community, 141 hectares of it for a gas plant; the money was not paid to me. Before the May 29 episode, Chevron paid N5 million naira of this money. After the episode they 'bought' another N 20 million but I've not seen it. Apart from this, Chevron has not given us any relief whatsoever. They have not assisted us in any way at all."

"We live by the grace of God. We used to sell fish at Escravos. We used to supply fish to people. Because of the oil spill in the area, we travel through boat for 150 kilometres into the sea before we can get fish.

"But after the crisis we've not done anything, we're stranded doing nothing. All of our money was burnt down. All we have now are our children and husbands, we don't have any capital to start any business. Before Chevron came we had plenty of fish. But due to spillage fish had become scarce. The spillage has sunk into the soil so that it has become infertile and nothing can grow in the soil again."

"What Chevron is doing to us is wrong, The pollution from Chevron makes our children sick. They also inhale horrible fumes from the gas flares coming from Chevron.s installations. Because of these, children have liver problems, bad eyesight, itching, and patchy complexion. The air in Ugborodo is very corrosive yet they.ve refused to pay us the money of the land they bought from us. No compensation has been paid the women. Chevron should recognise the leader of the community so that development will become real to us."