NIGERIAN TROOPS THWART THEFT OF $7 MILLION CRUDE OIL

The Joint Task Force code-named ‘Operation Restore Hope’ in the Niger Delta engaged suspected illegal crude oil bunkerers in a fierce gunfight that lasted for several hours between Thursday night and Friday morning.

Casualty figure, if any, was not known at the time of this report yesterday.

However, our correspondent reliably gathered that it occurred around a boundary community between Delta and Bayelsa State.

Three suspects were arrested along with some paraphernalia of the illicit deal by the JTF troops, which later subdued the suspected hoodlums shortly before the break of dawn.

Confirming the report, the Coordinator, JTF Media Campaign Centre, Lt. Col. Rabe Abubakar, said, 20 barges used to convey stolen crude oil from oil facilities to waiting vessels in the high sea were seized during the operation.

He said, “In continuation of the efforts of the JTF to eradicate the illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism to the barest minimum and also restore peace and sanity in the Niger Delta, the men of the JTF through its intelligence, surveillance and proactive operation led to the intercepting and arrest of 20 crude oil barges at the sea close to Aggei in Delta State.”

Our correspondent’s investigation revealed that the JTF’s effort on Thursday night may have saved the nation a whopping $7.1 million.

Oil industry sources told our correspondent that the 20 barges could have been laden with up to 62,000 barrels of crude oil.

“An average barge can take up 3,105 barrels of crude oil depending on the size and other factors including the quantity those involved are able to siphon into it. Assuming all the barges were loaded, we could be talking about over 60,000,” an oil expert who craved anonymity revealed.

In a related development, Col. Abubakar told our correspondent that a 5-man gang that specialised in oil pipeline vandalism was intercepted and subsequently arrested in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

He said the gang members were arrested at the Otorogu Gas Plant operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

The suspects (names withheld) were reportedly caught while scooping petroleum products, including condensate, from the pipeline.

“Items recovered from the pipeline vandals included one 18-seater midi bus with registration number Nassarawa XA 147 KEF, eight empty drums and four hose used in siphoning petroleum products,” he added.

Similarly, the JTF image-maker revealed that its troops discovered 52 12” pipes vandalised from the Odidi Platform of SPDC: The facility has been down since 2006 when suspected militants invaded the station and looted strategic equipment.

He said, “The JTF Commander (Brig. Gen. Wuyep Rimtip) while inspecting the stolen piles, stressed that he will not rest on his oars in the patriotic assignment given to him to rid the region from all forms of illegal oil activities.”

Rimtip, according to Abubakar, appealed to community leaders and well meaning indigenes in the region to assist the JTF with useful information that could lead to “combating miscreants in their areas.”

REBUILD DESTROYED AGGE: NIGERIA GOVT URGED

FROM DIMENE EGBAIMO

The National Union of Ijaw Students (NUIS) has called on the Federal Government (FG) to immediately rebuild Agge just as it called for withdrawal of the Joint Military Task Force which razed down the community in alleged chase of militants which attacked its base in Bomadi and allegedly carted away weapons.

In a statement endorsed by Comrades Stephen Omare, Endurance Bekenawei, and Ebilade Obiri, President, Vice President and Public Relations Officer respectively, the NUIS said it was shocked that the FG was yet to visit Agge to ascertain the extent of damage with a view to ameliorating the suffering of the law-abiding citizens whose sources of livelihood were lost to the invasion. The body said if the FG was not in an orchestrated decimation, by installment, of the Ijaw nation, it was now more than apparent that military occupation of the Niger Delta through the JTF was a menace to law-abiding citizens.

“We wish to let the FG and the world know that as students, our stay and sustenance in Nigerian Universities not sited in our lands depend on our parents’ means of livelihood now damaged in Agge by the JTF. Let the FG rebuild Agge so that things can begin to look up from the difficulties Ijaw students of Agge extraction and environs have been thrown into. Why is it that each time the JTF is in pursuit of criminals, it is the innocent, defenceless mothers, fathers, citizens and communities that suffer assault while the culprits remain at large? Is that professional soldiery. ?”, NUIS queried.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Ijaw Youth Council, Western Zone, Comrade Preye Okaba says the 8pm-till-dawn curfew imposed by the JTF on Bomadi should be lifted or greatly relaxed. He stated that while military occupation in the Niger Delta is undesirable, a military that is alert and professional need not impose curfew and make residents uncomfortable before it could ward off feared attack from so-called militants.

TROOPS KILL 12 CIVILIANS - MEND ALLEGES

SHOLA O'NEIL, Warri.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) yesterday accused the Joint Task Force (JTF) of fatally shooting and killing civilians in Bayelsa state on Sunday afternoon.

Twelve persons reportedly died when soldiers allegedly opened fire on a boat conveying students from Yenegoa to Fropa in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

A man in his early 20s, who sustained severe gunshot wounds, was among the survivors, it was gathered.

Although the report could not be independently confirmed at press time yesterday, the JTF debunked the report, describing it as cheap propaganda by MEND

Lt. Col. Rabe Abubakar of JTF’s Joint Media Campaign Centre said the report was “utterly baseless, false and irresponsible”.

But a statement by MEND’s Jomo Gbomo claimed that the incident occurred around Yenegoa-Fropa route in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

“A civilian commercial transport boat which plies the Yenagoa - Fropa (southern Ijaw) route of Bayelsa state was attacked by the men of the military Joint Task Force (JTF) on Sunday, August 24, 2008 by about 16.30 Hrs.

“The JTF's explanation of the attack which led to the death of 12 passengers and one critically injured survivor made up of students, women and children was that they heard the sound of gunfire minutes before the emergence of the passenger boat.

“This unfortunate killing of innocent civilians again calls for the replacement of the military task force with the police in civilian areas. It is clear that the soldiers acted out of panic and indiscipline and may even have been drunk.

“MEND will not issue any threat over this painful waste of lives but will retaliate at the appropriate time before notifying the public.

“We call on the Bayelsa state government to investigate the incident and compensate the families of the victims as soon as possible,” Gbomo added.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has rejected an offer of $20 million dollars (about N2.3 billion) made to it by the Federal Government to fend off attack on staff of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The militant organisation had on Monday 4 August, warned the German construction giant to vacate all project sites in the FCT as from today.

Following the threat, MEND claimed in a statement on a website that the Federal Government, through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, offered $20 million to it as bribe to prevent the impending attack on Julius Berger.

In a statement signed by Jomo Gbomo, the group’s spokesman, and made available to P.M.News, MEND reiterated its warning that staff of Julius Berger vacate all project sites in Abuja, from today.

“To demonstrate our seriousness, MEND has rejected an offer of a $20 million bribe by the Federal Government through its Chief negotiator, the Secretary to the Federal Government.

“We suggest that the government puts that money to better use through the moribund National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), by providing relief materials such as tents, blankets, medicine, pottable water to the displaced Agge Community in Bayelsa state,” MEND stated last night.

However, effort to confirm MEND’s claim about the bribe from the Federal Government proved futile at press time.

The Niger Delta militant group warned that disregarding its threat would amount to putting the expatriate staff, including the two currently being held hostage, at risk.

MEND, in a statement issued last week, warned that failure to vacate its staff from construction sites and halt all ongoing projects in the FCT “will result in unprecedented deadly attacks on the expatriate staff of Julius Berger inside Abuja and other parts of the country, until they comply.”

The police authorities, which are not taking the threat lightly, have warned MEND not to come near Abuja, as such move would amount to a suicide attempt.

According to reports, security has been beefed up in Abuja and its environs, while security agencies have intensified patrols in the FCT to ward off any attack by the militants.

IJAW STUDENTS CONDEMN INVASION OF AGGE

The National Union of Ijaw Students (NUIS) has called on the Federal Government (FG) to immediately rebuild Agge community, which was ravaged during August 4 invasion by the Joint Task Force.

The student group expressed surprise the Federal Government was yet to send official delegation to ascertain the extent of damage and ameliorate the suffering of the people, three weeks after the attack.

NUIS also called for the withdrawal of the Joint Military Task Force from the region in the wake of the action, which the task force said was in pursue of militants who attacked its base in Bomadi and carted away weapons.

In a statement signed by Comrades Stephen Omare, Endurance Bekenawei, and Ebilade Obiri, President, Vice President and Public Relations Officer respectively, NUIS urged the government to take urgent steps to ameliorate the suffering of thousands of residents of the area.

They expressed “shocked that the FG is yet to visit Agge to ascertain the extent of damage with a view to ameliorating the suffering of the law-abiding citizens whose sources of livelihood were lost to the invasion.”

The body said if the FG was not in an orchestrated decimation, by instalment, of the Ijaw nation, it was now more than apparent that military occupation of the Niger Delta through the JTF was a menace to law-abiding citizens.

“We wish to let the FG and the world know that as students, our stay and sustenance in Nigerian Universities not sited in our lands depend on our parents’ means of livelihood now damaged in Agge by the JTF.

“Let the FG rebuild Agge so that things can begin to look up from the difficulties Ijaw students of Agge extraction and environs have been thrown into. Why is it that each time the JTF is in pursuit of criminals, it is the innocent, defenceless mothers, fathers, citizens and communities that suffer assault while the culprits remain at large? Is that professional soldiery?” NUIS queried.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Ijaw Youth Council, Western Zone, Comrade Preye Okaba says the 8pm-till-dawn curfew imposed by the JTF on Bomadi should be lifted or greatly relaxed.

He stated that while military occupation in the Niger Delta is undesirable, a military that is alert and professional need not impose curfew and make residents uncomfortable before it could ward off feared attack from so-called militants

$7.5m (N800 Million) Voodoo Money Scam: Calls for probe of NDDC

$7.5m (N800 Million) Voodoo Money Scam: Calls for probe of NDDC

Calls for comprehensive probe of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) mounted yesterday on the heels of suspension of its Chairman, Amb. Sam Edem, for allegedly spending N800 million on voodoo.

The acting chairman of the commission, Barrister Bassey Dan-Abia had said last Thursday at NDDC’s headquarters in Port Harcourt that the Agency’s money was not in any way involved in the ugly development around the suspended chairman.

But Niger Delta activist, Alaowei Afro Biukeme, vowed to mobilize one million niger Deltans to Abuja on a peaceful protest if investigation on the suspended chairman of the Niger delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ambassador Sam Edem and the entire Board of the commission was not made public within 30 days.

He said Dan-Abia was being economical with the truth, wondering how the Chairman of NDDC could raise N800 million for such flimsy use.

Alaowei Biukeme, the chairman of Izon-Ebi Oil Producing Community Task Force, insisted yesterday that NDDC money was involved in the matter that led to the suspension of Ambassador Edem.

While saying that the acting chairman of the commission was being economical with words, Alaowei Biukeme said the whole world must be told where a public servant like Ambassador Edem got a whooping sum of N800 Million to splash on a native doctor.

According to him, if the outcome of the investigation was not satisfactory, he would mobilize men and women to demonstrate before the President at Abuja .

Alaowei Biukeme who is also the CEO of Afrotex International Marine Services warned that any attempt to sweep the matter under the carpet would not be accepted and tasked the Senate House Committee on NDDC, the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC and the Police to get to the bottom of the matter.

“We want the Senate Committee, the House of representatives on NDDC and the Police to properly investigate the suspended chairman of the NDDC within 30 days and give the Nigerian people, especially those of us from the Niger Delta Region a feedback or we will mobilize our people to Abuja to demonstrate for the President to sack the entire members of the NDDC Board,” he said.

According to him, “The whole world is aware already of the fraud that the commission has become and this is one case these people cannot use money to influence, therefore we are giving them 30 days to tell us the outcome of the investigation, if not we will go and protest before the president because the Due Process that he is campaigning if it does not work out, then we will take other ways to make it work”

Said he; “If we keep silent over this matter and he is left off the hook by the police that it is a ritual case, we are not going to accept it because that money belongs to us. We want that money back into the coffers of NDDC for the development of the neglected region”

“We want our police to carry out a proper investigation on the suspended chairman as well as the entire Board of the commission because all funds of the Agency are strictly meant for our development. The suffering people of the oil rich Niger Delta wants to know where a public servant like Ambassador Edem who has not served for four years got N800 Million to pay a native doctor,” he stated.

STUDENT SET UP RANDY LECTURER IN COEWA

A sex scandal has hit the College of Education Warri, Delta State, after a staff of the institution was caught literally pant down with a female student, Ms Joyce Sidi.

Sidi said the the lecturer, a Mr. Akpohwohwo allegedly being harassing for sex.

She reportedly set up the lecturer after he allegedly refused to allow her graduate because of her refusal of his sex advances.

The alleged victim, Miss Joyce Sidi, was admitted in 2001/2002 session and she is yet to graduate: she blamed her fate on her refusal of alleged sexual overtures from some lecturers of the institution.

However, our correspondent gathered that a lecturer at the Religion and Social Studies Department, identified as Mr. Felix Akpowovwo, may have become the scapegoat after the lady set her up.

He was caught naked with the lady at a hotel located in Marine Quarters area of Warri.

It was gathered that Sidi had earlier informed some top officials of the institution as well as a reverend father of Akpowovwo’s alleged overtures after which she plotted his ‘downfall’.

“He told me that if I would go out with him my result and graduation would be guaranteed, that he is the god of CRS (Christian Religious Studies) and that his words are law,” Joyce Sidi told our correspondent.

The 27-year old student further revealed that the lecturer then asked her to move to an hotel in the area, where he usually took other students to adding, “He said I should pay the hotel bill and get back to him.”

But she said she took a step further by informing her spiritual father, who advised her on how to handle the lecturer.

“After I paid the bill, I called my spiritual father and informed him that we were about to move into the room, I told him the room number and he assured me that he would be there at the time.”

Thinking he had finally gotten his heart desire, it was gathered that the randy lecturer took off his cloths and jumped into bed expecting the lady to join him.

Rather than following suit, Sidi reportedly opened the door and let in an official of the college (names withheld), who came in with the reverend father.

But in his version of the story, Akpowovwo who was contacted by our correspondent, denied coercing the lady to have sex with him, saying the incident, which occurred on 29^th of July, was by mutual consent.

He said, “I did not force the girl to the hotel. Beside, I am not the cause of her failure am not her lecturer; she was attracted to me. I asked her for outing, she accepted; she called me on the phone and she even chose the hotel.”

He said it was the student who offered to go with him to the hotel; contrary to Sidi’s claim that he coaxed her into the rendezvous at the hotel.

Consequently, he said, “I did not see anything wrong loving a girl that is not married. I spoke to the girl and she offered to pay part of the hotel bill. I did not force her to the hotel, when has it become a crime for a man to take the girl to hotel?”

Sidi, who spoke with our correspondent on the fall out of the plot, insisted that she wanted Mr. Akpowovwo to be used as a lesson to teach lecturers and other staff of the institution that young girls in the school are there to learn and not to be harassed.

ANOTHER IJAW/URHOBO CRISIS LOOMS IN DELTA STATE OVER OGBE-IJOH

The Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic groups that fought a fratricidal war in Delta State in the 90s could be set for a fresh showdown over the ownership of Ogbe-Ijoh, whihc ironically is the headquarters of Warri South West LGA..... below is a stern warning from the Ogbe-Ijoh people

The attention of the Ogbe-Ijoh Clan Governing Council has been drawn to a publication in the Daily Independent Newspaper of 5th August, 2008 with the above caption and the " The Nation" Newspaper of 7th August, 2008 with the caption " Delta Communities Fight Over Land".

In the said publication, the Aladja Community through its Chairman, Mr Bright Gbada referred to the Ogbe-Ijoh people as ungrateful tenants and that the Headquarters of Warri South-West Local Government Area which is in Ogbe-Ijoh Town is in their land.

The publication is not only misleading and provocative, but it is also subjudice (sic) in that the Aladja people are already in Court with the Ogbe-Ijoh people and also the publication is capable of igniting another round of crisis between the two Communities.

Ordinarily, the Ogbe-Ijoh people would not have joined issues with the Aladja Community, however, because of the misleading nature of the publication and for the public not to take our silence as admission of the assertions of the Aladja Community, we wish to react as follows in order to set the records straight :

1. That the Ogbe-Ijoh people are not tenants to the Aladja people not to talk of being ungrateful tenants. On the contrary, the Aladja people are customary tenants to the Ogbe-Ijoh people, hence they are called Ogbe-Sobo ( Ogbe-Biyou ), a name given to them by the Ogbe-Ijoh people from time immemorial. This fact is clearly stated in their own Udu / Aladja Intelligence Report.

2. That to justify the fact that the Aladja people are customary tenants to the Ogbe-Ijoh people, after they were permitted by Ogbe-Ijoh people to settle at Aladja ( formerly Tambiri ) they bear the name " Ogbe-Sobo" meaning Ogbe-Ijoh Urhobo people until the 1940's. It was the Ogbe-Sobo name that they bore when they had a land case with Isaba Community in 1934 in suit number B / 10 / 1934 between Aya for himself and on behalf of Ogbe-Sobo and Okoro and, Donokoromo for and on behalf of Isaba Communoty, a case the Aladja people lost.

3. Also during the colonial administration in 1952, the Western Region Government established the boundary lines between Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja when it created the Warri and Urhobo Divisions. Ogbe-Ijoh and it farmlands was placed in Warri Division why Aladja was placed in Urhobo Division and this is still maintained till date by virtue of the boundary between Warri South-West Local Governemt Area and Udu Local Government Area. For the avoidance of doubt, Ogbe-Ijoh Town is in Warri South-West Local Government Area while Aladja is in Udu Local Government Area.

Consequently, we wish to call on the Delta State Government and the Law Enforcement Agents to call the Aladja leadership and the Aladja Community to order in the interest of peace and to stop the persistent harassments of Ogbe-Ijoh indigenes and visitors to Ogbe-Ijoh who are passing through Aladja Community to Ogbe-Ijoh especially property developers.

SIGNED FOR AND ON BEHALF OF OGBE-IJOH CLAN GOVERNING COUNCIL :

MR SAMSON OYIMI

Chairman

MR CLEMENT TEKEDOR

Secretary-General

YOU CAN NOW DRIVE FROM bOMADI TO TUOMO - NDDC COMMISSIONS ROAD

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, on Wednesday inaugurated a N2.3billion Bomadi-Tuomo Road project built in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Speaking during the ceremony, Uduaghan, who also flagged off the Tuomo-Tamigbe road, urged the Federal Government to ensure even development of the country.

He said his government was committed to development of the state in spite of its lean resources, adding that Vice President Goodluck Jonathan would soon visit the state to inaugurate the Gbaramatu Road projects in Warri South West LGA.

While commending NDDC for the projects, the governor appealed to citizens of the state to cooperate with the contractors handling various projects even as he urged Deltans living outside the state to return home and contribute to its development.

The about 3km road was the first of three-phase road/bridge projects by NDDC in the Bomadi area of the state. Already, the Tuomo-Tamigbe (2^nd phase) was also flagged off yesterday.

The Managing Director of the NDDC, Mr. Timi Alaibe, said the commission took a study on road link from Bomadi to Ojobo, adding that due to the difficult tterrain, decided to embark on the project in phases.

He said the second phase of the road would be the Tuomo – Tamigbe road, while the third, he said would lbe from Tamigbe to Ojobo.

Mr. Alaibe also revealed that the NDDC will handle the opening up of Gabanjolor to Obotebe in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.

Also speaking at the occasion witnessed by prominent Niger Deltans, Senator James Manager, representing Delta South at the Senate, commended the NDDC under Alaibe for the road projects.

Manager, who is also the Chair of the Senate Committee on the NDDC, said his committee would be in the area in November to inspect the second phase of the road project.

For his part, the Acting Chairman of the NDDC board, Mr. Bassey Don-Abis, said all the Niger Delta region needed was development, promising that the commission would do its best in this regard.