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JTF Vows To Dismantle Illegal Refineries …Launches Manhunt For Suspected Militants
The Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta codenamed ‘Operation Delta Safe’ has said that its operations in Igbomotoru in Southern Ijaw Local Government Council of Bayelsa State were geared towards uprooting a major illegal crude oil refinery camp in the area.
He further assured that the JTF would not leave any stone unturned to exterminate every illegal refinery site in the Niger Delta region to forestall the devastation and pollution of the precious environment by artisanal operators of the production of petroleum products.
Commander of the outfit, Rear Admiral Aminu Hassan, who made this known while briefing journalists at its headquarters at Igbogene, Yenagoa said the camp was operated by a suspected notorious militant leader, Endurance Amaegbe.
Operatives of the Operation Delta Safe had during the operation, which began on June 22 this year, arrested two suspects linked to a suspected militant leader said to own the illegal camp, and seized some items at the illegal refinery site at Igbomotoru.
In recent times, Igbomotoru in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State has been in the news with community leaders alleging invasion of the community by the military in collaboration with a pipeline surveillance contracting firm and a multinational oil company operating in the area, accusing the soldiers of harassment of natives and some other excesses.
However, Hassan said that the allegation was not the case as the deployment had no business with the people but focused on dismantling an illegal crude oil refinery camp established in the forest of Igbomotoru by a suspected militant leader who has been intimidating communities in Southern Ijaw and other parts of Bayelsa State.
Hassan said a major pipeline conveying crude oil and other critical infrastructure has been vandalised several times by the suspected militant and his group who were bent on operating the illegal refinery, a situation he described as economic sabotage to the country.
Conducting Journalists round the illegal crude oil refinery camp located about 1.5kilometre off Igbomotoru main town, the Commanding Officer of 343 Artillery Regiment, Elele, Lieutenant Colonel Philemon Malgwi, who led the operation, said it began on June 22 this year to dismantle the activities of the suspected oil thieves who were also terrorising people along the waterways.
He said the operation was not limited to Igbomotoru but also to other communities in Southern Ijaw such as Ikebiri, Azuzuama and adjoining creeks following tip offs, information and intelligence gathered.
Journalists on the fact-finding mission at the House Boat at the Igbomotoru river, saw two suspects reported to be boys of Amaegbe, that were arrested at the illegal refinery camp at the forest.
Other items seized during the operation were three fibre speed boats, a generating set, some fake military camouflage uniforms, mobile and cell phones, walkie talkies and a pistol said to be owned by Amaegbe.
Meanwhile, the people of Igbomotoru had, last weekend, appealed to the federal and state governments to intervene and end an alleged ongoing invasion and harassment by military personnel and some armed youths in their communities.
Traditional rulers, leaders of thought as well as youth and women leaders said at a news briefing in Yenagoa, that property of the communities were being destroyed as natives live in palpable fear following the siege by some soldiers and youth employed by a pipeline surveillance contractor for Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) with the alleged connivance of a dethroned paramount ruler of Igbomotoru.
Locals also decried the alleged killings of their kinsmen by some of the armed youths.
Natives of Igbomotoru 1 and 2 communities in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State alleged that the invasion and attack of the soldiers and armed youths working for the surveillance contracting firm, Darlon Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited at the instance of NAOC was reportedly instigated following a false report given by the dethroned paramount ruler of the community, Chief Aseimiegha Ofongo.
According to them, the invasion by the military personnel and armed youths in six gun boats, a house boat and five speed boats from the contracting firm, started on June 24 as houses of locals, worship centres and other properties were destroyed.
Acting Paramount Ruler of Igbomotoru One Community, Chief Goodluck Alogodei, alleged that under the dethroned paramount ruler from 1997 to 2005, about nine youths lost their lives with 51 houses razed as members of the community continue to live in fear following the unwarranted invasion and attacks.
A Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Festus Emiri, who hails from Igbomotoru, said the whole crisis boils down to the politics of divide and rule deployed by the IOC to intimidate the community.
Counsel to the community, Mr. Stanley Damabide, said several letters had been written to government and various security agencies, yet, the attacks have continued.
In a reaction, Darlon Oil and Gas Limited said that its attention has been drawn to constant media trial by some leaders of Igbomotoru who have consistently accused its management of being involved in a recent military operation in Igbomotoru communities.
A statement by the Chairman, Darlon Oil and Gas Limited, Chief Levi Wilson, indicated that as a registered and responsible oil and gas company saddled with the responsibility to discourage pipeline vandalism and crude oil bunkering activities, the company finds the repeated accusation that management was involved in the stationing of a military base in Igbomotoru communities to intimidate, maim and kill residents of the community, as rather unfortunate and malicious.
It pointed out that its legal team was carefully studying the press release circulated to media outfits across the country, and would come up with the position of Darlon Oil and Gas Limited on the allegations soon.
It also warned those involved in attempts to tarnish the image of the company to desist forthwith, as the management of Darlon Oil and Gas Limited would not hesitate to take legal action against the sponsors and actors of the unfortunate mudslinging campaign.
The company used the medium to inform the general public that the said involvement of management or staff in the military operation at Igbomotoru community was not only false but a figment of the imagination of some sponsors of crude oil bunkering activities who will stop at nothing but tarnish the image of the company and put it out of the way so that they can go about vandalising crude oil facilities.
It said that the clarification became necessary because its mandate was not to carry out military operations against crude oil thieves but to discourage pipeline vandalism and crude oil bunkering activities.
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

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
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

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.
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