From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

A supposedly peaceful protest by youths of Sangana community in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa state turned sorrowful following the shooting at a boat conveying the protesters to an oilfield operated by Conoil in the area.

It was learnt that Ikiowori Benson, one youth, hit by the gunshot lost his life, while two persons in the team of community youths were still missing and others critically injured after the incident reportedly happened on Monday.

Armed security personnel attached to the offshore facility christened “Antie Julie”, within 0ML 59 operated by Conoil, opened fire on the youths when they approached the facility to demand the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Conoil and Sangana.

Reacting to the incident, Ambrose Timipre-Ayah, the youth leader of Sangana said that he and 10 other youths from the community approached the Conoil facility unarmed, with the sole aim of registering their displeasure with the company.

He said he was shocked when the armed security operatives opened fire on them, killing one person instantly. He said two persons were missing and two others receiving treatment at Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa.

Also, Rueben Preboye, the Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman of Sangana, noted that while Conoil has been operating in the community for about 25 years, the company has been delaying the implementation of the MoU.

According to him, the MoU lasts for three years subject to renewal, noting that the 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2022 MoUs have not been implemented and accumulated over 300million naira and 420-million-naira worth of projects.

The Sangana CDC chairman said he had the same issue with Conoil when he was the youth leader of the community in 2010.

However, when contacted, Mr. Richard Adebayo, the Community Relations Manager of Conoil declined to comment on the incident.

The spokesman of the joint military force deployed to protect  facilities in the Niger Delta, Major Adenegan Ojo could not be reached by telephone and has yet to respond to sms requesting reaction.

It will be recalled that on Oct 31, 2021, a gas leak from a rig Adriatic-1 within the oilfield contaminated the environment in the community and attracted regulatory sanctions by the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency

The Defence Headquarters says troops of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) have destroyed 47 illegal refining sites, and apprehended 65 suspected oil thieves and other criminals in the last two weeks.

The Director, Defence Media Operation, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, said this on Thursday in Abuja at the bi-weekly news conference on the operations of the armed forces.

Danmadami said the troops had sustained the tempo in the war against oil theft, illegal refineries and other criminal activities through aggressive raid, patrol as well as clearance operations amongst others.

He said the troops recovered 186,000 litres of crude oil, 42,750 litres of Automotive Gas Oil, 4,500 litres of Premium Motor Spirit and 200 litres Dual Purpose Kerosine.

The spokesman said that 250 storage tanks, 220 ovens, 32 dugout pits, 31 wooden boats, one gas welding cylinder, and one pocking gas were recovered.

Others are two gas burners, two gas gauge, two adjustable spanners, one pumping machine and four outboards engines.

Danmadami said the troops also recovered 300 ammunitions, 15 AK47 magazines, 211 mobile phones, three vehicles, 100 wraps of suspected cannabis sativa, three and four pinches among others.

He said the troops had on May 18, raided a suspected criminals house at Ibaa community in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers.

“All recovered items and apprehended suspected criminals have been handed over to the relevant authority for further action.

“Equally, it is worthy to mention that a total of N604.4 million was denied the oil thieves.

“The air component on May 18, conducted air interdiction operation at Krakrama active with illegal refining activities.

“Accordingly, the location was struck, with several illegal refined products and equipment destroyed in the air strike,” he said.

In the South East, Danmadami said the troops of Operation UDO KA continued to clamp down on the Indigenous People of Biafra, Eastern Security Network terrorist and other criminalities in the zone.

He said the troops neutralised five terrorists and apprehended nine suspects, as well as recovered several arms, ammunition and other items during the period.

In the South West, he said the troops of Operation AWATSE apprehended 26 suspected criminals and recovered one locally made pistol, three cartridges, 280gm of tramadol and two bottles of codeine. (NAN)

The Police Command in Lagos State has announced the dismissal of Sgt. Ekpo Shimuyere attached to Sogunle Division for extorting a young man of N98,000.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin told newsmen on Wednesday that the Provost Department of the command had already disrobed the dismissed sergeant.

According to him, the dismissed sergeant collected the phone of his victim and used a POS operator to transfer N98,000 out of the N100,000 in the young man’s bank account.

Hundeyin said that the action of the policeman was contrary to the ethics of the profession.

“Police got the complaint from the victim and the officer denied the crime when he was contacted.

“We wrote to his bank and obtained his statement of account. We were able to trace the money to where the POS operator transferred it to before transferring the money to the officer’s account.

“We followed due process to get his account. The victim was invited in the course of investigation, and he testified.

“The POS operator was also invited, and he said the officer requested him to transfer the money from the victim’s account to another one,” Hudenyi added.

He said that the Sergeant was consequently subjected to Orderly Room trial in line with extant laws.

“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos Command, Mr Idowu Owohunwa, have reviewed the orderly room procedure of the officer with Force No. 461654, attached to Sogunle Police Division and have approved the punishment of dismissal from the Force,” he said.

Hundeyin said that the commissioner warned officers and men against any form of corruption, stressing that the dismissal was to serve as a deterrent to others.

He further warned that the command would continue to punish any police officer found to have engaged in unprofessional conduct.(NAN)