By Abiola Olawale (The New Diplomat’s Southwest Bureau)
Tension has escalated in Igbomotoru community in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State over the reported case of attack that led to blowing up of the Nigerian Agip Oil company’s pipelines by some armed men.
According to reports, unknown gunmen, suspected to be militants stormed the Igbomotoru community in Southern Ijaw Local Government and vandalized the Agip pipelines close to the Beninkurukuru bush.
Reports also indicated that the attack on the Agip pipelines route has reportedly led to the shutting down of other oil platforms along the Ogbeinbiri axis and others in the area to avoid fire outbreaks and heavy damage to the crude oil supply route in the area.
Although the cause of the attack was yet to be known as at the time of filing this report, checks suggested that the attack might not be unconnected to the agitations of some youths regarding the award of the surveillance contract.
There have been several calls in the past from the Niger Delta youths who had raised alarm that the Nigerian Agip Oil Company breached the Presidential Amnesty Programme agreement by allegedly awarding the pipeline surveillance contracts to non-indigenes of Baylesa state.
According to the amnesty agreement, the surveillance contracts should be awarded to the natives in the oil-producing communities of the Niger Delta.
According to reports, the community members of the Egbematoru have contacted the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) also known as Operation Delta Safe, to protect them from the militants and return norlmacy back to the community.
Additionally, all efforts to reach appropriate authorities to ascertain the incident and the damages incurred from the incident proved abortive as at this time.
More to come..
