Nigerian militants have shut down the Nigerian Agip Oil Company-owned flow station at Pregbene, Bayelsa. The militants have also seized a fuel barge belonging to the Italian oil company.
Already, the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) is to beef up security in and around its six plants in Bonny, Rivers State.
Although no reason was given for the siege on the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC )facility now causing tension in the Niger Delta, the militants have been waging a campaign of bombings, sabotage and kidnapping against the oil industry, which has cut Nigeria�s oil output by a quarter, with effects on the nation�s revenue as well as on power supply, largely dependent on natural gas.
They are demanding control of the region�s huge oil revenues and the release of two detained sons of the area – former Bayelsa state governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and Dokubo Asari.
NAOC, sources said, had pleaded with the president of the Oil and Gas Producing Communities in the Niger Delta, Chief Preye Olomu, to trouble-shoot on its behalf.
Chief Olomu led a delegation including the former Bayelsa state commissioner for environment, Dr Godson Omubo-Dede, to the camp of the militants somewhere at Opuama in the creeks and succeeded in extracting a promise from the leader of the group to re-open the shut down facility and release the seized barge.
However, sources told Vanguard that apart from promising to re-open the facility, the leader of the militants warned that the group might be forced to close down all oil wells in Bayelsa state if the federal government and the oil companies refuse to pay adequate attention to the oil producing communities.
Contacted on phone, a public affairs department staff of the company, OJ Akere, said he was not in a position to talk to the press while several phone calls to the company’s government and community affairs manager, Adiela Onyedibia, were unsuccessful.
Also, the state commissioner for environment, Victor Akenge, was not forthcoming when Vanguard called at his office.
NLNG beefs up security
On its part, NLNG said following threats from militants to attack the oil/gas industry, it had decided to beef up security in and around its six plants in Bonny Island, Rivers State.
Vanguard gathered that the company was aware of the militants threat and was not leaving any stone unturned in the effort to secure the lives of all its workers and its multi-billion dollar investment in Bonny.
�The company is aware of certain threats that are reported to have been made against its facilities and people on Bonny Island. We take the security of our staff and host communities in Bonny very seriously.
“We have had a very peaceful relationship with our host communities and continue to do so for the mutual benefit of all parties. Although adequate measures have been put in place for some time now for the security of lives and facilities, in the light of these present developments, we will increase such measures tremendously or as we deem necessary.”
By Samuel Oyadongha & Yemie Adeoye, Vanguard