THE five communities that make up Kou clan: Agge, Ogbeintu, Orobiri, Azamabiri and Amazor in Ekeremor local government area of Bayelsa state have tendered an apology for the kidnap of four foreign oil workers of Peak Petroleum by armed youths from the clan on August 9.
The clan in a letter to the Special Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on Security said the entire Kou people take �full responsibility of the incident and shall ensure that forthwith, steps shall be taken to ensure that this kind of incident shall be averted in the future�.
The letter, dated September 12 was signed by Messrs Patrick Igbosaibogha and Ebi Sunday for Orobiri; Williams Isiayei and Monday Lugbenwei for Agge; Pius Olamiene-Olemene and Saibo Ayebor for Ogbeinu; German Iron and James Japhet for Azamabiri; Chief Jonny Suwa and Fredrick Saimodi for Amazor community.
The clan, however, drew the attention of the government to the arrest and continued detention of Messrs. Nelson Disi and Vicent Madu, both representatives of the Kou clan by security operatives in connection with the kidnap of the four foreign oil workers, urging the Bayelsa state government to intervene and stop security operatives from further hostilities against the clan.
�Granted that the act of kidnap by youths of the clan is regrettable, the youths acted in a supposed patriotic frenzy on behalf of their excluded communities in Peak Petroleum Industries Nigeria Limited upstream oil exploration and exploitation just off the coast of their communities�, they said.
According to them, the Bilabiri community kidnapped some expatriate workers of the company in July, 2006 and that led to the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the community and nine other towns on August 7, 2006, and because the Kou communities were excluded, the youths struck with patriotic zeal on August 9.
They noted that Peak Petroleum signed MoU with the Kou clan communities on August 29 and that one Mr. Francis Uduophori of Peak Petroleum Industries Limited signed on undertaking on August 15 to the effect that there would be no form of arrest, detention and intimidation consequent upon the event of August 9.
�In the light of the foregoing, kindly use your good office in ensuring that the new relationship between the Kou clan and Peak Petroleum Industries Nigeria Limited is sustained and maintained to the benefit of the Kou people and by extension the Bayelsa state government�, they added.