By Anna Borzello
BBC correspondent in Lagos
Hundreds of men and women have invaded an oil installation operated by Chevron Texaco in Nigeria's Delta region.
The protesters from Ugborodo village said the company had failed to deliver promises for community development.
Several people were injured during the brief occupation of the Escravos plant, the regional army commander said - but could not confirm reports of deaths.
Village elders, company officials and state representatives have been meeting in Warri town to resolve the dispute.
In July 2002, hundreds of women occupied the Escravos oil installation for several weeks, refusing to move until the oil company met their demands.
Community protests are common in the Delta, which remains poor and underdeveloped despite its oil wealth.
Gun shot wounds
The protest began just before daybreak when a boat of protestors approached the installation and then entered the compound, which is operated by both Nigerian and expatriate staff.
It is not clear exactly what happened next.
A spokesman from ChevronTexaco - which operates Escravos in partnership with the Nigerian government - say that the incident was handled by the security forces, and refused to go into any more details.
Regional army commander Brigadier Elias Zamani told the BBC that several people had been injured.
He was unable to confirm reports - from both oil company insiders, and protesters - that a number of protesters had been shot dead. He said he was on the way to Escravos to try and find out the facts.
A local journalist told the BBC that he had interviewed 12 injured youth in Warri general hospital, many with gun shot wounds and one of them was seriously injured.
ChevronTexaco say they do not know why the villagers were demonstrating.
But there has been a long standing dispute in the area, with local people claiming that the company has failed to honour of promises of community development which it made following the 2002 occupation.
© BBC MMV
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