Niger Delta

Diri Carpets Firms, Others Over Host Communities’ Plight

Published

4 years ago

April 18, 2022

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has condemned what he described as unfair collusion of oil firms and regulatory bodies against the interest of host communities in the Niger Delta.
Diri stated this when the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Yenagoa.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as saying that part of the security challenges in host communities were as a result of the injustice and unfair treatment by the oil companies aided by the regulatory authorities.
The Bayelsa governor cited last November month-long oil and gas spillage in Nembe Local Government Area of the state from an AITEO Exploration and Production Limited facility, which eventually resulted in litigation due to the manner the company and the regulatory bodies treated the impacted communities.
He said the disposition of his government towards the affected host communities prevented another flashpoint of conflict between them, AITEO and, by extension, the security agencies.
”For us as a government, from the moment we assumed office, we have always preached peace and security and looking for constitutional, legal and legitimate ways of addressing the injustices over the years in our state.
“A case in point was the AITEO oil spill. That facility was said to be unproductive, was not decommissioned and it spewed oil for over a month, which was the first of its kind in the history of oil exploration in this country.
“At the end of the day, a potential source of conflict was during the joint inspection visit, which has caused a rift between the state government, AITEO and, to an extent, the supervisors from the oil and gas sector.
“However, because of our disposition, we have been able to calm down our communities. Now it is the state government with the local government on one side, and of course AITEO and the supervising oil and gas bodies on the other side, which I feel should not be if we do what is right, and if there is equity and fairness.
“For the fact that the environment has been affected as well as the source of livelihood of the people, it is very human for the oil companies to have immediately responded by way of compensation. Unfortunately, what we have seen is that there is some collaboration and collusion with AITEO and the regulatory agencies and we were forced to take legal action against AITEO”, he said.
Governor Diri called for synergy between the state and the military and recalled that it was the focus when the Chief of Defence Staff invited governors to Abuja to discuss how to ensure uninterrupted oil and gas production in the Niger Delta when he was newly appointed.
The state’s helmsman, stressed that his administration was open to collaborate, synergise and strengthen the existing relationship between the state and the security agencies.
Earlier, Gen. Lucky Irabor said he and his team were in Bayelsa because they recognise the crucial role of the state government in accommodating and strengthening the operations of the country’s armed forces.
He added that the visit was also to solidify the partnership between both parties, particularly in combating oil theft, kidnapping and the destruction of oil facilities across the state.
The Defence Chief noted that any form of destruction of the nation’s oil investment is a direct attack on the future of the country’s oil wealth and thanked Governor Diri for his unrelenting support to the military and other security agencies.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

CSOs, Bille Community Urge Solution To Persistent Underwater Gas Eruption

Published

2 weeks ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the people of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State have called for government’s urgent intervention to end the suspected underwater gas eruption in the community.

The groups, under the aegis of the Environmental Rights Action and Social Action, made the call during their advocacy visit to the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), in Port Harcourt.

The Programme Manager of Environmental Rights Action, Mr. Kentebe Ebiaridor, said the visit was to seek clarity on the response efforts of the regulators to the development in the community.

Ebiaridor expressed concern over what he described as “inadequate response from regulatory agencies and the government concerning the incident”.

He said discussions with some officials revealed that there was still no clear timeline for action to address the situation.

According to him, in the absence of clear ownership of the facility linked to the incident, companies operating within Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 should be held accountable.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) had in a statement issued on March 20 by its Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the commission had commenced an investigation into a gas bubbling incident in Bille Community.

Eyesan said the commission expressed concern over the development and assured residents of its ongoing efforts to address the situation.

Also, the Resource Justice Manager of Social Action, Dr. Prince Edegbuo, warned that the situation could escalate into a public health emergency, if urgent steps were not taken.

Edegbuo called on relevant authorities to release the results of the tests reportedly conducted in the area, stressing that residents had the right to know the condition of their environment.

He also said CSOs were prepared to intensify advocacy on the matter, urging the development of emergency response measures, including possible evacuation plans.

A legal practitioner and community stakeholder, Mr. Commission Deinbo, had, on March 20, said residents had continued to witness unusual signs on the waterways in the area.

Deinbo said the signs included boiling and bubbling from the ground and river, sometimes within residential areas, as well as fire outbreaks, which the residents had always managed to contain.

He appealed to relevant authorities to come to their aid and find a lasting solution to the problem.

In a response, the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of NOSDRA, Mr. Bello Augustin, assured the community that he would relate its concerns to the appropriate quarters.

Augustin also commended the CSOs for their advocacy and concerns to community development in the state.

By: Wokoma Emmanuel & Theresa Frederick

Niger Delta

Police Detain 7, Recover Arms In A’Ibom

Published

2 weeks ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State has detained seven suspects and recovered firearms after raiding a criminal hideout in Ndiya Mfia, Ikono Local Government Area.of the State.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, made the disclosure in a statement in Uyo on Wednesday.

John said that the breakthrough which occurred at about 6.00a.m on Wednesday, followed credible intelligence from members of the public.

“We reliably gathered that criminal suspects were hibernating in a compound disguised as worshippers.

“In a decisive operation, our personnel conducted a thorough search of the premises which led to the detention and recovery of arms,” she said.

According to her, the operation was in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police to decisively combat crime in the country.

The police spokesman further said that two locally made double-barrel guns, five expended cartridges, four motorcycles and three generators were recovered during the operation.

She also listed 10 mobile phones, one police crest, four jungle boots, one peak cap, saw blade, spanner, number plates, machetes, a special force vest as other items recovered.

“We also found bottles of suspected spiritual oil and one enlarged photograph linked to an ongoing investigation,” she said.

John said that preliminary investigation suggested that the location was being used as cover for criminal operations.

She said the State’s Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Azare, has directed a comprehensive investigation on the matter in order to apprehend the principal suspect.

John expressed the commitment of the Command to rid the state of crime, and urged members of the public to always support the police with timely and credible information.

Niger Delta

Otu Launches Grassroot Security Network In C’River

Published

2 weeks ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has launched a grassroots security intelligence network, named, ”Homeland Safety and Security Agency,” to strengthen community-based surveillance and enhance safety across the state.

Otu, who inaugurated the agency’s office in the Southern Senatorial District of the state on Monday, in Calabar, said similar offices were being inaugurated in the Central and Northern Senatorial Districts.

The Governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Emmanuel Ironbar, said the officials of the agency would serve as first point of call before matters would be escalated to main security architecture in the state.

He described Homeland Security as an intelligence-driven structure focused on neighbourhood monitoring and early threat detection through coordinated local efforts.

He said the initiative constituted the directors and field operatives, tasked with gathering and forwarding intelligence to relevant security agencies for prompt action.

Otu noted that the network would serve as a first point of contact before intervention by conventional security agencies.

“It is important that we enhance monitoring of movements across our communities, border areas, and riverine zones to identify suspicious activities and enhance security response.

“The state government will provide necessary gadgets and communication tools to improve efficiency and real-time intelligence sharing,” he said.

Otu called for public cooperation, stressing that ‘’security is a collective responsibility requiring timely information from residents.’’

He said, ‘’to ensure that the security outfit works like a model unit, proper screening would be conducted on the volunteers to weed out undesirable elements from the system.’’

The Tide’s source reports that the Governor handed over 14 motor bikes to the agency’s southern Senatorial district office to enhance their efficiency.

On his part, the Director-General, South of the agency, Mr. Michael Nsan, said the volunteers had played key roles in reducing crime through coordinated patrols and intelligence sharing.

Nsan said over 1,300 volunteers currently supported the operations with additional informants providing critical information across communities.

“Crime rates dropped significantly during the last festive period due to our collaboration with law enforcement agencies in the state,” he said.

The Director-General said volunteers would undergo training and screening, with plans underway for formal recruitment through a government employment portal.

According to him, communication tools, including walkie-talkies, and patrol motorcycles had improved rapid response to security incidents.

He commended the governor’s commitment, noting that the initiative would further strengthen security architecture and community safety across the state.

The source reports that some of the dignitaries who graced the occasion were traditional rulers and government officials.