Many injured as local operatives in search of oil thieves raid Bayelsa community
Many residents of Opuama Kingdom in Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State sustained injuries when armed men suspected to be operatives of the Tantita Security Company, a private contractor protecting oil facilities in the Niger Delta region, stormed the community. The operatives of the company were said to have stormed the community in […]
map of yenagoa bayelsa state
Many residents of Opuama Kingdom in Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State sustained injuries when armed men suspected to be operatives of the Tantita Security Company, a private contractor protecting oil facilities in the Niger Delta region, stormed the community.
The operatives of the company were said to have stormed the community in search of some suspected oil thieves.
In the process, about seven members of the community got injured.
Daily Trust gathered that the incident has heightened tension in all the coastal communities in Opuama Kingdom, a situation some residents said if not handled promptly may cause another militants clash in Southern Ijaw LGA.
Opuama kingdom is made up of 14 autonomous communities and 48 fishing settlements and hosts multimillion dollars oil assets operated by SPDC, NAOC and Chevron.
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Territorial Youth President of the Opuama Kingdom, Comrade Omatebe Foster Kurotimi, and the Technical Assistant to the Bayelsa Governor on General Matters, Hon. Opumie Collins Trueman, described the attack as “a gross misconduct on the part of the security pipeline surveillance company”.
According to them, a particular youth who was loading sand on the waterside, had waved down the speed boat of Tantita operatives to slow down in order not to make his sand filled canoe to capsize.
He was reportedly dragged to the waterside and flogged with horse whips and machete.
Kurotimi, while speaking with newsmen in Yenagoa on Sunday, said though a formal protest has been filed with the State Headquarters of the DSS and the Zone 16 Command of the Nigerian Police Force, “The wicked act by Tantita security operatives led by the Coordinator is a provocative act that could lead to break down of law and order.”
He warned that despite the fact that Opuama Youths are law-abiding and peaceful, the invasion of the communities is threatening peace in the area.
He said: “We are law abiding and in as much as we want peace, Tantita should adopt professionalism while in search of oil thieves. They just invade communities and start chasing people and beating them with dangerous weapons.
“I have notified the traditional elders and the security agencies. Why is Opuama case is always different. They rounded up indigenes from fishing settlement, took them to their house boat and started flogging them. It is unprofessional.
“While we are ready to work with the Federal Government, security agencies and Tantita to tackle cases of oil theft, the Tantita should not continue to oppress our youths to avoid bloody confrontation,” he said.
Also, the Technical Assistant to the Bayelsa Governor on General Duties, Hon. Opumie Collins Trueman, who expressed disappointment over the action of the oil surveillance operatives, called on the Federal, State and security agencies to investigate the incident to avoid possible confrontation between angry Opuama Youths and the Tantita security operatives.