From Kunle Idowu, Abeokuta

Amule Kanji village in Imeko Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State was on Sunday night thrown into grief when suspected gunmen believed to be herdsmen killed no fewer than three persons in the community.

The victims – Tunde Taiwo, John Taiwo and Femi Bara, sources said, were reportedly attacked at about 11pm, while returning to Ologede village on a motor cycle.

Confirming the incident, the Balogun of Imeko Isale, Chief Ganiu Akinyele said the killer herdsmen were part of those who attacked Igangan which is just a few kilometres away from Amule Kanji village, the scene of the gory incident.

The assailants were reported to have left an AK-47 rifle at the scene of the incident and went away with the victims’ motorcycle.

Akinleye further said that the remains of the three victims had been evacuated by the Police, saying that the killer herdsmen have relocated to Sagada village in Imeko.

“You know there was a crisis in Igangan yesterday, those herdsmen who escaped to Imeko through our forest reserves killed three men on Sunday night,” he said.

“The three victims ran into these fleeing herdsmen, who killed them. They even took the victims’ new motorcycle away, leaving their old one, behind”.

“We saw empty AK-47 cartridges at the scene on the incident. A formal report has been made at the police station in Imeko and the police have gone there to take the corpses”.

“This is getting too much. We can no longer sleep in our houses. The herdsmen are everywhere. Government should come to our rescue. The Amotekun operatives in Imeko are too few. We need help”.

He explained that the herdsmen who escaped after killing people in Igangan are now in Ogun State, adding, “They camp in a village called Sagada, under Oke Agbede in Ward 2”.

Though, sources said the victims were evacuated from the scene, but the Police Public Relations Officer in Ogun state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the Command had no knowledge of the incident but promised to get back, as at Press time.

Digital Technology Key to Reducing Crude Oil Production Cost – FG

The Federal Government says deployment of digital technology is key to reducing the Unit Operating Cost (UOC) of producing crude oil in Nigeria to 10 dollars per barrel by December 2021.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mr Bitrus Nabasu, made the assertion yesterday, at the ongoing 2021 Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (NIPS) in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the summit has at its theme: “From Crisis to Opportunities: New Approach to the Future of Hydrocarbons”.

Nabasu said: “As the demand for energy increases at an astronomical rate, the quest for deployment of innovation and technology to keep pace with the demand increases.

“The oil and gas industry utilises these innovations and trends to increase the efficiency of operations and reduce costs.

“Most oil and gas companies overrun in cost and time. The use of digital technology can help companies manage over-spending and operations, meeting deadlines and ultimately increasing overall productivity.”

According to him, with the uncertainty triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the current objective of the oil and gas industry is maintaining sustainable profitability.

He said some of the digital technologies and innovations that had helped in this regard include Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Analytics, Robotics and Automation, 3D Modelling, Cloud Computing, Blockchain technology, amongst others.

“These technologies do not come cheap. No doubt, there are huge costs involved in the deployment of innovation, but those companies that make it a priority reap the benefits.

“According to a research by McKinsey, effective use of digital technologies in the oil and gas sector could lead to reducing capital expenditures by up to 20 per cent and operating costs in the upstream by three to five per cent.

“Therefore, digital technology should be placed at the core of the business strategy in the industry,” Nabasu added.

Also, Mrs Betty Ugona, Chief Innovation Officer, Research, Technology and Innovation Division, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), said digitalisation was one of the NNPC strategies to curb high cost of operations.

Ugona said the division was set up to provide research support to the NNPC following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on crude oil production and how best to overcome the challenges.

On his part, Mr Michael Zhaung, Managing Director, Hauwei Nigeria, said Hauwei was committed to digitalisation of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

He said Hauwei would continue to partner with oil and gas companies in Nigeria to provide real time monitoring of oil and gas infrastructure in order to reduce vandalism and oil theft. (NAN)