Some yet to be identified gunmen have killed two youths contracted to provide security at an oil spill site in Bodo Community, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Bodo which has experienced multiple spills in recent times was hit with another spill an oil spill last two weeks for the Trans-Niger pipeline operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC.
It was gathered that that the community had engaged some youths in the area and posted them to secure the spill site till Joint Investigation Visit was completed.
Reports say the youths after some days of operation were attacked at the site by gunmen Saturday morning.
Two of the unarmed guards were killed during the attack while about five others escaped with various degrees of bullet injuries.
A community source gave the names of the deceased as Wisdom Pilla and Barioma Dutu, while five others Charles Saago, Tombari Akere, Lekaga Agbi, Oliver Nyimaage and Barinem Pigalo, sustained injuries.
A Coordinator of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP in Gokana LGA, Apostle Celestine Baribefe Viula, who said the community has reported the matter to the Police Divisional Headquarters in the LGA, regretted that the police have neither taken any action nor visited scene of the incident.
Viula disclosed that that the youths were mandated by the community to keep watch over the recent oil spill site pending the completion of investigations into the cause of the spill and repairs on the affected pipeline.
He said: “At about 2:00am on Saturday, August 26, the youths were attacked by some gunmen leading to two deaths while others sustained gunshot injuries.
“The Ogoni Community of Bodo in Gokana has again been thrown into mourning following the killing of two youths who were part of a team assigned to provide security surveillance at the recent site of an oil spill within the community.”
Also, factional leader of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, has condemned the attack on the security guard, describing it as barbaric.
Nsuke in a statement signed by Alex Akori, Secretary-General, further described the incident as painful and unfortunate and expressed his condolences to the families of those affected, even as he urged the Police to investigate the crimes.
The MOSOP leader called on the people of Bodo to do all that is necessary to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.
He said: “The latest shooting resulting in two deaths are very barbaric and we strongly condemn these acts of violence. My heart goes to the families of those who have suffered pains and lost loved ones in this incident.
“These are all consequences of natural resource extraction. It is unfortunate that while we suffer the consequences of this exploitation, we are told not to talk about the benefits which are distributed to all states in Nigeria and we get nothing because our political rights to function within Nigeria as Ogoni people are being denied”.
“We demand an investigation and we will want to see the outcome of the investigations into these.”
