Residents of Idu Ekpeye community in Rivers State have raised the alarm over what they describe as an invasion by security personnel. The presence of the operatives comes while the community is locked in a court dispute with an oil company. Community members fear the deployment is tied to the case and could be used to put pressure on them. They want the personnel withdrawn and have called on the authorities to intervene. Rivers State sits at the heart of Nigeria's oil industry, where friction between host communities and energy firms is common. Similar disputes in the region have previously escalated into confrontations between soldiers and protesting villagers. The community maintains that its quarrel with the company should be settled in court, not by force.