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From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Two persons have reportedly lost their lives in Okobe community, Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, by security men allegedly attached to a pipeline surveillance team of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).
It was gathered that the security team also burnt down about three houses in the area during the operation in Okobe community Friday and Saturday.
A community source hinted that, the community had been under fire by the surveillance team led by a man identified as Mr. Brown, adding that over 10 people from the community have been arrested.
A legal luminary, Tuduru Ede, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who hails from the community, condemned the development, urging Agip to call its surveillance team to order.
Ede regretted that the invasion had affected economic and social activities in the area, noting that many persons have deserted the community.
He condemned the indiscriminate arrest of people known to be from Okobe, adding that people of the area did not indulge in illegal oil bunkering.
Ede urged Abili Nigeria Limited, the surveillance company, to move to the pipelines where the oil thieves operate to tackle theft and vacate the community, adding that the development has sacked many residents from the community.
He said: “I am calling on Nigeria Agip Oil Company to ensure that its security operatives, its contractors do go to Okobe to be harassing community indigenes. They should not go there to indiscriminately arrest anybody at all in the name of looking for people indulging in illegal oil bunkering.
“There are no Agip pipelines in Okobe town. There are no fuel dumps there. Okobe indigenes and traders are going about lawful business. But this current situation where Agip and its contractor go into that community everyday to arrest people, is becoming too alarming. Agip should be prepared to face the troubles with the contractor it is maintaining.
‘Instead of policing their pipelines they are coming to Okobe to burn houses, burn properties and cars. Agip is using the guise of illegal oil bunkering to harass the people. As we speak some persons have deserted the community.
“It is enough. I hope the directors in Agip should stop it immediately. We are not in a military region. They have arrested more than 10 persons. They killed two persons yesterday, Saturday. Is it in the community that contractor should come and show any form of force?”
Ede further said the community would take steps against the firm if proper thing is not done immediately, saying that the residents now live in fear over the development.
Meanwhile, a senior official of the firm, who craved to remain anonymous, declined comment on the development.
The staff said even if he knows, he would not comment because he doesn’t have the mandate of the company to speak to the press.
