News
Oil Rig Attack: Police, Gunmen Clash Claims Five In Bayelsa
At the end of over three hours of gun battle between the police and gunmen believed to be pirates at the site of an oil rig belonging to Lone Star Drilling Company in Gbarain in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, five of the hoodlums were felled by the superior power of the law enforcement officers while several others were said to have escaped with bullet wounds.
During the fight, some security agents were also said to have sustained minor injuries, and were said to have been treated in an undisclosed health institutions across the state.
It was learnt that the pirates stormed the rig, operated by Lone Star Drilling Company at about 2am on the fateful day, and immediately opened fire on the facility, according to a security agent who participated in the battle.
“Their main target was to remove the weapons attached to a gunboat used for protecting the rig. They wanted to steal the guns in the boat”.
However, nemesis caught up with them when the police, who were alerted by the noise of their boat as they approached, replied them with a number of gun shots, which led to the death of the five while others fled with bullet wounds.
Shooting, was however, sustained until they repelled the attack.
“All l can tell you is that some of the pirates must have been hit by the police bullets. They were in the river and it is believed that those who were hit must have fallen into the river. It is expected that their bodies would float after two days”, he said.
He added: “The pirates had come with the intention to remove the weapons, very sophisticated ones, on the gunboat.
“They came with generator and electric filing which they intended to be used to remove the weapons, if they had succeeded in their operation. Unfortunately, they were repelled by the policemen guarding the rig.
“In fact, I was proud of the way the police were able to repel them. I think that this will send a signal to others that it is no longer business as usual.”
But it was learnt that despite reported killing of some of the bandits, the hoodlums reinforced and came back at about 6am.
The policemen, who were said to have remained vigilant, engaged them in another round of gun duel, and forced them out of the area.
When contacted, Bayelsa Police Commissioner, Hilary Opara, confirmed the incident.
Opara said the pirates had attacked the rig at Gbarain with the intention of cutting the chain used to secure the gunboat to the rig.
He said if they had succeeded, they would have stolen the gunboat and eventually removed the police guns.
The commissioner said the incident took place at odd hours of Wednesday, adding that the suspected pirates who came in a speedboat, first opened fire on his men.
Okpara who could not say whether there was any causality or not, said that, “If such happened, in no distant time, their bodies would surely float on the waters”.
“The pirates came with electric filing and a generator. Their aim of coming with those tools was to use the electric filing to fire the machine that would be used to severe the chain used for securing the gunboat to the rig.
“Unfortunately, the policemen attached to the rig were there. After serious exchange of fire, the pirates abandoned the rig. The pirates again came back around 6 am, probably thinking our men had gone. When they sighted our men, they ran back and some swam in the river to escape,” he said.
L-R: Senator Magnus Abe, Rivers State Deputy Governor, Engr Tele Ikuru, and state Chairman, All Progressive Congress (APC) Chief Davies Ikanya during the inauguration of the party’s committees in Port Harcourt. Photo: Ibioye Diama
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.