Metro

Delta Community Protests Oil Firm’s Sacking Of Indigenes

Published

3 years ago

July 10, 2022

Aggrieved indigenes of Olomoro, a host community in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, have shut down operations of Oil Mining Lease 30, operated by Heritage Energy Oil Services Limited, over the alleged disengagement of eight indigenes working with the oil firm.

The placard-carrying protesters, who converged at the entrance of the oil company on Sunday, also accused the oil firm of sacking the affected workers “without any reason” as well as unduly marginalising the host community.

The Patron, Olomoro Indigenes Heritage Staff, Okpogbo Peter, while addressing journalists shortly after the peaceful protest, insisted that the company would not be reopened until the affected staff members were reabsorbed.

While maintaining that the action would be sustained until the workers were reabsorbed, Okpogbo noted that the disengaged workers were employees of the Shell Petroleum Development Company before it was bought by the Nigerian Petroleum and Development Company in 2012 adding that the HEOSL had not employed any Olomoro indigene since it inherited the assets from the NPDC in 2017.

He said, “Since 2017, the HEOSL has never employed anybody from Olomoro Community but would rather sack our people employed by Shell. We disagree with that. Heritage has no right to sack any of our community workers that were employed by Shell.

“They are owing Olomoro community slots. So we are saying the sacked community workers be called back immediately.”

Also, one of the retrenched staff of the company, Steve Okaro, alleged that the HEOSL had made a series of illegal employment over the years, which had over-bloated the staff strength, just as he further alleged that another company was attempting to buy the HEOSL but complained of the over-bloated staff strength.

Okaro stated, “We learnt that a new company is coming to take over from Heritage but it’s like that company is complaining of the staff strength. Now, they want to let some workers go and it is the community workers. Those workers they employed through the back doors, they did not touch them.

“They are owning Olomoro community more slots and they are dropping our people. We are saying no way, we cannot take it from them. All the eight sacked workers should be reinstated. Our President-General said we should take it diplomatically with them but they are not shifting ground, hence the protest.”

When contacted, the HEOSL Community Relations Officer simply identified as Mr. Williams, stated that he was not authorised to speak with the press.

He, however, promised to send the contact of the rightful person, which he never did as of the time of filing this report.

Metro

Man Falls From 26-storey Cocoa House In Oyo

Published

11 hours ago

June 3, 2025

Editor

A yet-to-be-identified man has reportedly fallen from one of the top floors of the 26-storey Cocoa House building in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The incident, which threw the entire business community into panic, occurred in the early hours of Monday.

One of the eyewitnesses said, “When the incident happened, I initially thought it was a large bird falling from the sky.

“It was only when the person landed that I realised it was a human being.

“I had my phone with me but I couldn’t even record anything because I was completely shocked.”

Another eyewitness said, “The victim first hit a roof beside the security post of the building before landing on the ground. It was a terrifying sight.”

As of press time, the circumstances behind the unfortunate incident were still sketchy as the investigation continues.

Meanwhile, a statement released by Odu’a Investment Company Limited, the firm managing Cocoa House, on Tuesday, in Ibadan, the state capital, confirmed the incident.

The Head of Branding and Communication of the company, Victor Ayetoro, who authorised the statement, said, “The individual involved was swiftly attended to by the emergency response team and taken to the University College Hospital, Ibadan, for urgent medical attention.

“The company expressed deep concerns over the development and assured the public of its full cooperation with authorities investigating the cause of the fall,” he added.

Metro

Family, CSO Protest Abduction Of 12-year-old Girl In Rivers

Published

12 hours ago

June 3, 2025

Editor

The family of a 12-year-old girl, Favour Oluwaseyi, who was allegedly kidnapped in August 2024, has called on the Rivers State Police Command to ensure the safe and unconditional release of their daughter.

Favour was abducted on August 7, 2024, from her parents’ residence in Elelenwo, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the State.

They warned that failure to meet their demands within 14 days and bring all those behind the abduction to book, they will occupy the command’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.

The Chairman, Coalition of Rivers State CSOs, Enefa Georgewill, said this during an interview with journalists after a peaceful protest at the police command headquarters on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.

During the protest, the family of Favour and her friends displayed placards with inscriptions such as, ‘Justice for Favour,’ ‘Oh thou God, arise in your anger and favour ‘Favour before great men to fight for Favour’s freedom from her abductors,’ among others.

Georgewill stated, “We are equally saying that if the police, who have failed to address these children here to celebrate Children’s Day with them, fail to provide Favour in two weeks’ time, we will come back here in our numbers and make sure we occupy the police headquarters.”

Georgewill added that the new Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations had assured them that the case would be looked into urgently.

He continued, “The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, is new on the job. We want to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“But so far, they’re just making promises. And these are some of the same promises they’ve been making for the past nine months.”

Speaking, the father of the missing girl, Mr. Ogunsinasi Oluwaseyi, expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of the case by the police.

Oluwaseyi stated, “It has been a very saddening and painful disappointment of the highest level from the Nigerian Police.

“We have gathered here before the Police Headquarters in Rivers State Command and are demanding justice for Favour, demanding her unconditional release, and that everyone culpable in this act should be brought to book.

“We have gone inside. The DC Operations has called us inside and assured us that in two weeks’ time, everyone found to be related to this matter will be called to order.”

The distraught father added, “We will come here, we will have a meeting, and at the end of the day, he has assured us by his word that Favour Oluwatofunmi Oluwaseyi, my own biological daughter, will be returned home alive.

“We want her alive. I have said that we will not relent until Favour is back.”

The PUNCH reports that on arrival at the state police headquarters, the newly deployed Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations took them into his office for a brief meeting and assured them of immediate action.

Metro

Parent, Four Others Arrested For Assaulting Ondo Vice Principal

Published

12 hours ago

June 3, 2025

Editor

The Ondo State Police Command has said it had arrested five persons in connection with the attack on the Vice Principal of Complete Child Development College Aule, Akure, Mr Alexander Rotifa, by the parents of his students.

The suspects include the mother of the student who was alleged to have cheated during the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination with his Android phone, Mrs Dorcas Asije.

Rotifa reportedly prevented an SS3 student from cheating during the ongoing WASSCE where he was said to have used his Android phone to cheat but was caught while the phone was taken away from him by the VP.

According to The PUNCH, the matter raised arguments leading to the student going home to report the VP to his parents who allegedly hired some thugs to beat him to a pulp.

A source said, “When the hired thugs arrived at the school to attack the VP, the school invited the policemen to rescue the man, but the thugs overwhelmed the policemen and dragged him out of their vehicle and pounced on brutally.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Olayinka Alayande, confirmed this in a statement on Monday with the state Ministry of Education stating it had begun an investigation into the incident.

He said, “Following the assault on the Vice Principal of Complete Child Development Centre Akure, the Ondo State Police Command arrested Mrs. Dorcas Asije and four other accomplices.

“Acting on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, CP Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) led a tactical team to ensure their swift arrest. The case has been transferred to SCID and will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigation.

“The public is advised to remain law-abiding and report suspicious activity to the nearest police station.”