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Anxiety In Bayelsa As Ex-Militants Blow Up Agip Pipeline
There is apprehension in Bayelsa State over yesterday’s attack on a Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) oil pipeline at Egbemoru community in Southern Ijaw Local Government of the state by suspected militants.
According to investigations, the armed men that blew up the pipeline are ex-militant leaders who had easy access to the pipeline since the previous surveillance contractors, Dalong Guardian and Dragon Security on Oil and Gas, are no longer securing the pipeline after their contract was suspended by the management of Agip over its plans to review and restructure the contract.
Community sources said that the armed men were led by an ex-militant leader simply identified as ‘General’ Endurance.
Endurance, who is believed to be a kingpin in oil bunkering business in the area, is also involved in a supremacy battle with another ex-militant leader from Peremabiri community also in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.
Sources in the community said the attack has forced Agip to shut down its other oil platforms along the Ogboinbiri axis so as to forestall more attacks which would affect its supply route in the area.
A source in the community confirmed that a Save-Our-Soul message has already been sent to the Joint Military Task Force code-named Operation Delta Safe to report the activities of the armed gunmen, and awaiting the deployment of security.
“Yes, we have reported their activities to security agencies, and we expect them to nip their activities in the bud. Most members of the community are afraid to speak out. These boys engaged in sporadic shooting, and they vandalized two Agip pipelines and set them ablaze close to the Beninkurukuru bush. The fire has led to the shutting down of some other facilities in the area”, the source said.
It was gathered that the community in its report distanced itself from the activities of the ex-militant pleading with the military to save the community.
Another source said the failure of Agip to secure the pipeline as it was previously done when it had surveillance contractors was what made the ex-militants have the courage to blow up the pipeline.
“This attack would not have happened if Agip had not suspended its contract with the surveillance contractors in the name of plans to review and restructure. The absence of surveillance contracts has made it easy for the oil pipeline to be attacked. Now because there is nobody securing the pipeline, oil bunkering which had become a thing of the past when surveillance contractors were monitoring, has come back,” he said.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.