The people of Louteyebiri community in Delta State have denied a newspaper report, referring to them as militants and illegal occupants of NPA, Warri Urban Area.

A statement by the chairman of the community, Mr Bossman Azazi, condemned the report, adding that the demand for compensation by the Ogbori community was irrelevant as they were not affected by demolition.

The statement reads: "We refer to a statement signed by an Itsekiri leader Chief Roland Omagbemi at page 40 of Vanguard newspaper of Thursday, 17 January 2013, referring to us (Louteyebiri community) as militants and illegal occupants who acquired their land since 1996 during the Warri crisis through force of arms.

"We are not militants; we are peace loving citizens of Ogbe-Ijoh in Delta State. We are not talking about land; the subject matter is the destruction of houses and properties worth over N800m in our community. So we want the state government to consult our community; and compensation should be paid through the community's account for proper accountability because we are ready to partner with government to ensure the smooth flow of the project."