Delta State HOSTCOM Cautions Ayakagba Dissident Group For Attacking Workers At HOSTCOM Secretariat on Uti Street, Effurun
By Wilson Macaulay
Effurun, Delta State – April 8, 2025
The Delta State Chapter of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM) has issued a strong cautionary statement against a dissident faction allegedly led by one Mr. Emmanuel Ayakagba, following a violent and unprovoked attack on the HOSTCOM State Secretariat located on Uti Street, Effurun.
According to an official statement jointly signed by the Chairman of Delta State HOSTCOM, Snr. Comrade Sunday Ndidi Enujeke, and the State Secretary, High Comrade Joseph Lamienghan, the group loyal to Ayakagba brazenly stormed the premises of the Secretariat—currently undergoing renovation —accompanied by miscreants wielding dangerous weapons such , cutlasses, and other harmful objects.
The shocking incident, which took place in broad daylight, reportedly saw several workers assaulted, including Mr. John Igbuala and Mr. Peter. Odonowei .One of the staff members was said to have been kidnapped and remains missing at the time of filing this report. The attackers, according to eyewitness accounts, exhibited a dangerous level of braggadocio, intimidating bystanders and forcing residents and passersby to flee the vicinity.
HOSTCOM condemned the attack in the strongest terms, describing it as not only an affront to the peace and unity of the body but also an insult to the spirit of the MORE Agenda of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, which is promoting peace, development, and inclusiveness in governance and community affairs.
The leadership reaffirmed that the Delta State HOSTCOM enjoys the unified support of all recognized ethnic nationality chairmen across the oil-producing regions of the state, and remains committed to the advancement of host communities in line with established legal frameworks and corporate governance, adding that the alleged suspension of Snr Comrade Sunday Ndidi Enujeke is a black market lie from the pit of hell that is laughable.
Reacting to claims allegedly made by the Ayakagba group regarding financial misappropriation and internal mismanagement, the HOSTCOM leadership described them as “spurious allegations” and “a figment of their imagination borne out of bitterness, desperation, and a failed coup to destabilize the association’s progress.”
They explained that Mr Andrew Agoyo remains Chairman of Urhobo Ethnic Nationality and Snr Comrade Sunday Ndidi Enujeke Remains the Chairman of HOSTCOM Delta State.
The organization disclosed that the incident has been formally reported to relevant security agencies and assured the public that those responsible for attacking the Secretariat will be made to face the full wrath of the law. “It is unimaginable that an individual like Ayakagba, with no legitimate claim to any office within the recognized structure of HOSTCOM, would have the effrontery to orchestrate an attack of such magnitude on a Secretariat under lawful renovation,” the statement noted.
HOSTCOM also used the medium to warn all individuals and groups intending to sow division and ferment crisis within the organization to desist forthwith, adding that Delta State HOSTCOM remains a disciplined, law-abiding body focused on delivering its constitutional mandates to host communities.
In conclusion, the leadership emphasized that acts of violence, destruction of property, and disruption of HOSTCOM’s administrative functions will not be tolerated, and pledged to work closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure that justice is served.
As the situation unfolds, the Delta State public and all stakeholders in the oil and gas-producing communities are urged to remain calm, law-abiding, and to continue supporting the leadership of HOSTCOM in its quest to protect the interests and welfare of host communities across Delta State.
