Metro

Oil Producing Community shuts Down SPDC Flow Station In Delta

Published

3 years ago

December 19, 2019

Residents of Ojobo community, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, Wednesday, shutdown Beneside Flow station operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) as a way of protest.

The protesters, some of whom were half-clad women in their hundreds stormed the facility in speed boats and wooden canoes in the early hours of yesterday and stationed themselves on available spaces on the twin houseboats meant for staff of the flow station.

This act followed expiration of a 48hours ultimatum given to SPDC to address issues contained in a pre-existing General Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) the company entered with the community.

Addressing newsmen at the scene of the protest, spokesperson for the protesters, Prince Doubra Baro, demanded an immediate take-off of a Community Interdependency Electrification Project (CIEP – Gas Turbine), which, according to him the community and SPDC mutually agreed upon and signed under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2001.

“We are demanding for the immediate release of the GMoU fund which is being withheld by a popular bank in connivance with SPDC. We also demand that SPDC should revisit and implement its abandoned legacy projects as well as the immediate employment opportunities for Ojobo indigenes into SPDC at all levels which has been denied since 1971, and that EMVAL and /or any other subsidiary company currently operating or working at Benisede Flow Station should stop forthwith and there should be no further award of contracts to non-indigenous contractors at Benisede”, he added.

The community demanded an explanation as to when, how and where the purported June 2005 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Final Report of Benisede Catchment Area Field Development Plan (FDP) Phase II was carried out, a demand that due royalties are paid to Ojobo community for the illegal Horizontal Drilling at Osuopele Oil Field (OML 46) since its discovery in 1977.

Further demand by the community, “Educationally, we ask that specific scholarship quota be given to Ojobo Community indigenes that are in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, that the Tenancy Agreement between Ojobo Community and SPDC in 1971 be renegotiated for fairness, equity and justice, and that indigenous company owners be allowed to register with SPDC.”

Efforts to speak with the Community Relations Officer in charge of the flow station, proved abortive.

Advertisements

Metro

JUST IN: Gunmen Kill Three NSCDC Personnel In Imo

Published

5 hours ago

March 27, 2023

Editor

Yet-to-be identified gunmen have allegedly killed three personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Imo State.

The incident which happened at EkeIsu market in Obiangwu Community in the Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of the state has thrown the community into panic.

A community source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that the slain corps were attacked in the early hours of Monday.

He said that the NSCDC personnel were riding in a vehicle when they were ambushed and killed by their attackers, while noting that security operatives had taken over the community.

It was gathered that the lifeless bodies of the victims were still at the scene as of the time of filing this report.

The source said, “Three operatives of the NSCDC were killed last night at EkeIsu market in Obiangwu Community in the Ngor Okpala LGA of Imo State. They were ambushed while in their vehicle. Their bodies have not been evacuated as we speak. Soldiers have taken over the community.”

But when contacted, the spokesperson for the police in the state, Henry Okoye, who confirmed the killing of the three NSCDC personnel, said security operatives had moved into the community and restored normalcy.

He promised to issue a statement on the incident later.

Advertisements

Metro

Two Killed As Lagos Rival Cult Groups Clash

Published

12 hours ago

March 27, 2023

Editor

Suspected cultists said to be avenging the killing of their colleague by a rival group on Thursday, March 16, hacked one Moses aka Loworo to death on Tapa Street in the Bariga area of Lagos State.

It was gathered that some members of a cult group had killed a rival cult member identified simply as Ayo in a community in Shomolu area of the state earlier that day.

A source, who did not want his name in print because of the sensitive nature of the matter, told said that in a bid to avenge Ayo’s death, his colleagues trailed his suspected killers to Bariga where they launched a reprisal on Moses.

He said, “The problem started in the morning when Ayo was attacked and killed in his area in Shomolu. He was killed at about 11am while his left hand was cut off and taken away by the cultist.

“Later in the evening, members of a cult group came to avenge the death of their colleague. When they came into the community, they were looking for members of their rival group and that was how they saw Moses.

“At that point, Moses was standing alone close to a kiosk on Tapa Street and was not aware of the presence of the cultists. Suddenly, their vehicle moved close to him and four guys came out and surrounded him. That was when one of them pulled a gun and shot him three times. After shooting him, he wanted to escape but he fell. Then they inflicted machete cuts on him.

“When other members of his group heard what happened, they rushed down to the spot and found his body in the drainage where it was dumped. They also attempted to chase those who attacked him but they did not see any of them.”

The source added that the incident caused apprehension in the area as business owners locked their shops.

“Shortly after the incident, people who have shops in the area quickly closed for the day and rushed home. Most of them did not open the following day (Friday) because of the incident. They were also scared that his death could lead to a breakdown of law and looting of their shops by louts,” he added.

The source said the Bariga Divisional Police Officer later visited the scene of the incident and took the corpse to the mortuary.

When contacted on Sunday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said he was not aware of the incident.

“I am not aware of this,” he stated in a text message sent to The PUNCH.

Advertisements

Metro

Gunmen Kill 6 Persons In Rivers Community

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2023

Editor

Gunmen have killed 6 persons in Odiokwu community in Ahaoda West Local Government Area of Rivers State.

An eyewitness told DAILY POST that the attack was carried out around 11am on Sunday (today), at a sit out in the community.

The eyewitness said a resident who was preparing to go to church was also gunned down.

The source, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, expressed worry that 27 persons have died in Ekpeye kingdom in different attacks in the month of March.

He, however, called in security agencies to come to their aid, as the people now live in fear.

“This thing happened at exactly 11am this Sunday. Some bad guys just came to a compound where youths were just resting.

“Some other visitors who are also tenants in that compound were also outside, preparing for church this morning. Just for them to be shot like that. About six persons were shot.

“And these persons that were shot were not members of any cult group. Neither did they have any problem with the community or any cult group.

“And this thing baffles us. As I’m talking to you now, we have recorded a total number of 27 persons killed in Ekpeye in this month of March.

“We have traditional leaders, we have political leaders, we have a government in Rivers State. Why is it that Ekpeye is being abandoned? Instead, people send guns and money to these buys.

“We are calling on the Federal Government and the international community, since the state government is not doing anything about the killings, to come to our aid,” he said.

The police, as at the time of filing this report, is yet to respond.

Advertisements