Battle for oil on March 12, 2014 / in Crime Alert 12:03 am / Comment •Youths on rampage at Anambra — Kogi border •6 injured, property worth millions of naira destroyed By Vincent Ujumadu, Awka OPERATIONS at the Orient Petroleum Resources Ltd located at Aguleri Otu in Anambra East local government area of Anambra State are being threatened as about 150 youths suspected to be from the neighboring Odeke in Ibaji local government area of Kogi State invaded the area, destroying property worth millions of naira belonging to Nigercat Ltd, the major construction company working at the petroleum refinery. The attack took place on Monday night and six people who were seriously injured during the attack are still lying critically ill at Otuocha General Hospital in Anambra State. The attackers were said to be fully armed to the teeth as the intensity of their fire power scared security operatives guarding the oil facility who allegedly took to their heels on sighting the large number of armed youths. Crime Alert gathered that the attack took place on a day the joint field team working on the Anambra /Kogi border was to meet to continue with efforts aimed at resolving the dispute between the two communities laying claim to the oil rich expanse of land in the area. Though the two border communities have been laying claims to the ownership of the land where the oil deposits in the area were located over the years, the problem got to a head shortly after President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned the Anambra oil facility last year. A prominent chief from the area told Crime Alert that his people and officials of governments of Anambra and Kogi states were surprised at the renewed attack, adding that both Aguleri and Odeke communities have been meeting at Nsukka in Enugu State to resolve the matter amicably before the latest attack. He said: “The police and the army have created a buffer zone in the area and we were surprised that the Kogi youths succeeded in attacking Aguleri Otu despite the presence of security operatives.” He said that following the recent attack and the consistent refusal of Odeke community to attend scheduled meetings to resolve the dispute, there was a decision at the weekend to adjourn the peace committee meeting indefinitely until normalcy returned to the area. It was gathered that the people of Odeke in Kogi State decided to back out of the peace meeting because of alleged unfair treatment meted out to their people by Aguleri people in Anambra State in 1991. Though details of the said ill treatment was not known, the Aguleri chief who spoke with Crime Alert said that following the complaint by Odeke people, they were asked to decide what should be done to appease them, adding that they listed items to be bought for the ceremony which amounted to N200,000. He said: “The mediators set up by the two communities gave them the money in August last year to buy the necessary items and surprisingly, when we went to Nsukka last week for a scheduled meeting, they failed to attend, even though they were in the same hotel with us. “Eventually, they said that the money was not enough and we gave them another N30000 just to ensure that we live in peace in the area and eventually the ceremony was carried out on Sunday to enable us continue with our meeting on Monday. To our greatest surprise, it was that Monday that the attack took place.” Meanwhile, the Anambra State government said it was seriously concerned about the latest attack on the Orient Petroleum facilities in the Aguleri Otu area. In a statement made available to Crime Alert, the secretary to the state government, Mr. Oseloka Obaze said: “The Anambra Executive Council has been briefed on the incident and Anambra authorities are in direct contact with the highest authorities in Kogi State on the matter, with a view to identifying those behind this nefarious act. “While the investigations are ongoing, security agencies and local government authorities on both sides of the Anambra-Kogi boundary are cooperating to determine the perpetrators of this violence. This development is most unfortunate as it comes at a time when inter-communal dialogue and other confidence-building measures within the boundary localities, including boundary demarcation are vigorously being pursued. Anambra State authorities will continue to sue for calm and peace, but must warn that those who breach public peace and security and resort to violence must be made to face the full consequences of the law.”
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 03:01:28 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015