News
Shell Spends $383m On N’Delta Security
Shell pays Nigerian security forces tens of millions of
dollars every year to guard their installations and staff in the Niger Delta,
according to leaked internal financial data.
The oil giant also maintains a 1,200-strong internal police
force in Nigeria, plus a network of plainclothes informants.
According to the data, the world’s largest company by
revenue spent nearly $1billion on worldwide security between 2007 and 2009: if
it were a country, Shell would have the third highest security budget in
Africa, after South Africa and Nigeria itself.
The documents show that nearly 40 per cent of Shell’s total
security expenditure over the three year period – $383million (£244million) –
was spent on protecting its staff and installations in Nigeria’s volatile Niger
Delta region. In 2009, $65million was spent on Nigerian government forces and
$75million on “other” security costs – believed to be a mixture of private
security firms and payments to individuals.
Activists expressed concern that the escalating cost of
Shell’s security operation in the Niger Delta was further destabilising the oil
rich region and helping to fuel rampant corruption and criminality. “The scale
of Shell’s global security expenditure is colossal,” said Ben Amunwa of
London-based oil watchdog, Platform. “It is staggering that Shell transferred
$65million of company funds and resources into the hands of soldiers and police
known for routine human rights abuses,” he said.
The financial documents, passed to Platform, suggest Shell’s
worldwide security costs almost doubled between 2007-2009, coinciding with the
rise of armed insurgency in the Niger Delta.
In 2008, 62 Shell employees or contractors were kidnapped
and three killed, many Shell-operated pipelines, well heads and offshore oil
platforms were attacked and the company was forced to halt oil exports for
several weeks after attacks by groups including the Movement for the
Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).
Nearly a third of Shell’s global security budget in 2008, or
$99million, was spent on “third parties”. This was double what the company
spent on its own security staff and is believed to include the services of 600
Nigerian government police and 700 members of the controversial “Joint Task
Force” (JTF) comprised of army, navy and police.
Shell denies having any direct control over JTF forces, amid
numerous accusations of human rights abuses, including a large-scale military
attack in 2009 which the US State Department said led to the displacement and
loss of livelihood of tens of thousands of residents.
But in the past, Shell has supplied government forces with
gunboats, helicopters, vehicles and satellite phones to better patrol the
myriad creeks and waterways of the delta.
“This proves what we in the Niger Delta have known for years
– that the air force, the army, the police, they are paid for with Shell money
and they are all at the disposal of the company for it to use it any how it
likes,” said Celestine Nkabari at the Niger Delta Campaign Group for Social
Action.
According to Platform, a significant amount of Shell funding
is channelled via senior military officials which provides “ample opportunities
for corruption”. US cables, released by WikiLeaks in 2010, alleged that the
company paid hundreds of thousands of pounds towards the deployment of 350
soldiers in the delta in 2003.
Platform also says the $383 million Shell spent in Nigeria
is an underestimate. “It does not include expenditure on the Shell operated
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant in Bonny. Nor does it include an estimated
annual $200 million of ‘community development’ funds, which are frequently
distributed to groups that threaten Shell’s operations, sparking serious
violent conflicts. The leaked data covers all four Shell companies in Nigeria,”
it says.
The Niger Delta in Nigeria where Shell and other oil
companies operate has been plagued by tension and violence as local people
demand a fair share of money made from exploiting oil from their land. The area
is heavily polluted and the people are poor with very little or no
infrastructure and jobs.
But Shell International said that any allegations of
corruption should be addressed to the Nigerian authorities, and that its
spending is necessary to protect its staff and operations.
Although armed insurgency in the oil producing regions of
the delta has declined since a 2009 amnesty, the company says it faces
widespread criminality, organised crime and massive oil theft. It has stated
that 15-20 per cent of its output is stolen by international gangs.
“Protecting our people and our assets is Shell’s highest
priority,” it said. “Our spending on security is carefully judged to meet this
objective, wherever we operate in the world. We have always acknowledged the
difficulties of working in countries like Nigeria. In the period that this
report refers to, the armed militancy in the Niger delta was at its height,
requiring a relatively high level of security spending there.
“All our staff and contractors are expected to adhere to the
highest levels of personal and corporate ethics, as set out in our code of
conduct. We support the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights
(VPSHR), and we recognise that these principles help maintain the safety and
security of our operations in a manner consistent with upholding human rights.
We also investigate grievances under the VPSHR.”
The company declined to comment on whether worldwide costs
for security were increasing because of the Arab spring.
But the scale of Shell’s spending, revealed by the data for
the first time, raises questions about the effectiveness of its security
policies.
“What is striking about the amount being spent in Nigeria is
its ineffectiveness,” said Amunwa.
News
Rivers DPOs Receive Awards For Outstanding Performance In Crime Prevention …As Students, Media Group Honour CSP Worgu, CSP Yusuf
Two Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in Rivers State have been honoured by separate groups for their contributions to security, crime prevention and improved community-police relations in their respective areas of responsibility.
The beneficiaries are the DPO of Afam Police Division, CSP Endurance Worgu and his counterpart at Oyigbo Police Division, CSP Bello Yusuf.
CSP Worgu was honoured by a group of students under the aegis of Rivers State Graduate Students Associations for what they described as his commitment and outstanding performance in the discharge of his duties.
The students, led by Chidi John Enyie, Esq. said CSP Worgu was selected based on his track record and status as one of the longest-serving young DPOs of Rivers State origin.
According to the group, CSP Worgu has made significant contributions to the protection of lives and property in the area since assuming office following the #EndSARS period.
The students said they were particularly impressed by the improvement in community-police relations under his leadership, noting that professionalism had remained a key feature of his service.
Enyie represented by Comrade Briggs Soku, said the students community was pleased to identify with a Rivers indigene who had distinguished himself in the police force.
He said the students considered it necessary to encourage and celebrate CSP Worgu because of his achievements as a young Rivers man excelling in a profession that many people from the state were often reluctant to join.
Receiving the award at his office in Afam, CSP Worgu expressed gratitude to God and the students for finding him worthy of the honour.
The DPO said the recognition had boosted his morale and encouraged him to sustain his efforts towards maintaining peace and security in the area.
He said he least expected the honour, particularly because it came from the students, adding that the recognition would further motivate him to serve the people better.
CSP Worgu assured residents of Afam that the police would sustain the existing peace in the area.
He appealed to members of the public to support the police by providing credible and timely information, stressing that useful information from residents would make the job of security personnel easier.
Meanwhile, the Ikwerre/Etche Media Association has also honoured the DPO of Oyigbo Police Division, CSP Bello Yusuf, for his efforts in tackling criminal activities in the area.
The media group presented the award following the swift tracking and arrest of five suspected kidnappers who had allegedly terrorised residents of the Kom-Kom axis and other parts of Oyigbo.
The group commended CSP Bello for what it described as his determined efforts to restore confidence and security in the affected communities, particularly Kom-Kom and Obeama.
According to the group, the arrest of the suspects demonstrated the DPO’s commitment to tackling criminality and safeguarding residents.
The media association said residents had received the development with relief, noting that the police action had sent a strong message to criminal elements operating in the area.
Responding, CSP Yusuf appreciated the group for the recognition and reaffirmed that there would be no room for criminality in Oyigbo.
He also commended the media for its role in disseminating credible information to the public, saying the media had remained supportive of the police in the fight against crime.
CSP Yusuf warned criminal elements operating in Oyigbo to leave the area or be prepared to face the full weight of the law.
He assured residents that the police would continue to pursue criminals and work to dismantle their hideouts, regardless of where they might be operating.
News
College Of Bishops Endorses Tinubu, APC Candidates For 2027 Polls
The 5000 Achievers Christian Forum and Colleges of Bishops, Archbishops and Apostles, a Christian interdenominational organisation, has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State for the 2027 general elections.
International President of the forum, Archbishop Lucky Aroh, disclosed this during the ordination and consecration of three new Bishops, as well as an award ceremony held in Port Harcourt.
Aroh said the performance of the APC-led Federal Government had endeared the party to the organisation, prompting the forum to declare its support for President Tinubu and other APC candidates in Rivers State.
He said the forum would support all APC candidates in the state during the 2027 elections and urged Nigerians to vote for the party.
Aroh, who is also the General Overseer of Caring Peoples Church, Port Harcourt, charged the newly consecrated Bishops to see their new positions as a great responsibility and dedicate themselves to the advancement of the kingdom of God.
He cautioned them against conduct capable of bringing their offices into disrepute, stressing that their activities would be closely watched by members of the public.
“As Bishops, the eyes of the public are on your activities. You must therefore conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of your calling,” he said.
Also speaking, the International Coordinator of the forum, Bishop Saint Robinson, urged the newly consecrated Bishops to work diligently towards winning souls for the kingdom of God.
Robinson, who was the guest speaker at the event, stressed that the activities of Bishops must at all times be guided by godly principles.
He also called on members of the church to support and cooperate with the newly consecrated Bishops in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The Secretary of the College, Apostle Elizabeth Ayadi Abaye, said the organisation was established to advance the kingdom of God and promote spiritual development.
According to her, the forum has organised several crusades, conferences, prayer meetings, ordinations, consecrations, enthronements, empowerment programmes and other spiritual development activities across the country as part of efforts to win souls for Christ.
Abaye said the organisation has members across the world and disclosed that more programmes had been scheduled to promote the spiritual development and wellbeing of humanity.
The three Bishops consecrated at the ceremony were Prince Alban Chike, Testimony Omenihu Shedrach and Prince Ifemena.
Among those honoured at the event were the Chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Abali Community, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Manuchimso Prince Lemmy Wopara, and Clifford Oko Jaja, Coordinator of the 5,000 House-to-House for President Tinubu.
By: John Bibor
News
Police Arrest Fake Soldier, Others For Armed Robbery, Kidnapping
The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a 49-year-old suspected fake soldier, Andrew Atausi, and several other suspects in connection with various criminal activities, including kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, one-chance robbery and the alleged murder of police officers.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, disclosed this in Port Harcourt, recently during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters, where he said the arrests formed part of the operational achievements recorded by the Command between June and August 2026.
Adepoju said Atausi was arrested on August 10 by police operatives along Ada George, Port Harcourt, while dressed in military uniform and driving a Toyota Hilux painted in Army colours.
The Commissioner said investigation revealed that Atausi was not a member of the Armed Forces, adding that he was suspected to be a serial car snatcher, with three suspected stolen vehicles recovered from him.
He said the recovered vehicles included three Toyota Hilux vehicles without registration numbers and a Toyota Corona Premio with registration number BNY 380 ES, noting that the chassis and engine numbers of the vehicles had allegedly been tampered with.
Adepoju added that an axe and military accoutrements were also recovered from Atausi, as investigation continued into the circumstances surrounding the vehicles and other items recovered from him.
On the June 29 attack on police officers at Aluu Division, the Commissioner said three members of the gang allegedly responsible for the incident had been arrested by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU-AKU.
The suspects, identified as Maduabuchi Emeka, 34, alleged gang leader; Doctor Chinedu Owhor, 42, and Kamachi Joe, 28, alleged armourer, reportedly led operatives to their hideout at Omagwa where two AK-47 rifles stolen during the attack were recovered.
Adepoju recalled that two police officers were killed during the Aluu attack, while others were wounded and one officer had his leg amputated, stressing that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fourth suspect.
On kidnapping, the Commissioner said five members of a suspected kidnapping syndicate were arrested in Oyigbo Local Government Area, adding that they allegedly confessed to operations in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities.
He said two other suspects from the same network, Anele Ogbogu, 35, alleged to be the gang’s armourer, and Kenneth Eke, 38, were arrested on July 27, with one AK-47 rifle and one SMG rifle recovered.
The Commissioner further disclosed the arrest of suspects in connection with alleged firearm offences, armed robbery, cultism and one-chance robbery, with firearms, ammunition and other exhibits recovered during the operations.
Adepoju assured residents that the Command would sustain intelligence-led, proactive and community-oriented policing in collaboration with other security agencies, while urging members of the public to continue providing credible information that would assist the police in combating crime across Rivers State.
By; King Onunwor
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