Alleged plan to resume oil production causing conflicts in Ogoniland

A faction of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has blamed alleged plans to forcibly resume oil exploration in Ogoniland for the criminal gang wars ravaging Ogoni area of Rivers State.

The MOSOP group, led by Fegalo Nsuke, has also sought independent inquiry into the cult clashes, insisting that such an investigation would uncover stunning revelations about oil industry sponsorship of crime in Ogoni.

He alleged that campaigners for the resumption of oil exploration and production in Ogoni were being sponsored by the oil industry to destabilise Ogoni and force oil resumption against the wishes of the people.

Nsuke cautioned that resumption of oil exploitation in Ogoni ought not to be encouraged by any responsible government, as the lives of Ogoni people were more important than oil prospecting.

“If the government goes ahead to resume oil production in Ogoni, the people will protest and as usual, the government will send in soldiers to kill us and that is why we are against the forced resumption of oil production now. We do not want any Ogoni lives to be lost again,” he said.

He claimed that the intention of the oil resumption campaigners was to completely destroy the Ogoni social life with the hope that the people will become helpless and unable to resist any military intervention.

According to him, the calculation of the oil industry and their allies was to create room for a military barracks to be sited in Ogoniland to pave way for the resumption of oil production in the area.

Besides, a protracted land dispute between Oyigbo and Ogoni communities has been blamed for the violent attack that claimed three lives on Monday.

The Rivers State Police Command’s spokesman, Nnamdi Omoni, who disclosed this yesterday, said the police were on the trail of the perpetrators of the attacks on Azubuogu, Obete and Okpontu communities in Oyigbo Council Area.

Unidentified gunmen, who allegedly came from Ogoni area of the state, had invaded the communities in Oyigbo on Monday, shooting sporadically and killing three persons in Azubuogu community.

Meanwhile, Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege has commended Belema Oil Producing Limited for heeding Federal Government’s directive for Nigerian and multinational oil and gas companies to relocate their operational headquarters to the Niger Delta.

In a letter addressed to the company, Omo-Agege, said the company has set an example worth emulating by other oil and gas firms.

This was contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Yomi Odunuga and made available to Senate Press Corps yesterday.