By: Felix Ikpotor
Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has called on the Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara to take urgent steps to halt the deteriorating security situation in Ledor Community in Tai local government area of Rivers State, which has been under violent attack by gunmen following a dispute over an oil well in the community.
Factional President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke who made the call in a statement issued in Port Harcourt said the state government must, as a matter of urgency, protect the people from attacks. He demanded an immediate security intervention to bring the situation under control.
He said: “On Saturday, one Uebari Adoole was shot by the attackers and there is growing concern about the safety of the entire Ledor community.
“So far, at least two persons in Ledor community have been confirmed shot by the gun in the last five days following the violence and community life has been severely altered with attendant consequences for children, women and others.
“Our information suggests that mercenaries have been hired to conduct the attacks on our people and preliminary checks indicate that an oil well in Ledor community which is currently in Tai local government area had been allocated to Oyigbo local government area in efforts to activate the well without the consent of the Ogoni people. In response, the Ledor community had protested the nomenclature on the oil well.”
MOSOP blamed the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, for the attacks and called on the Rivers State governor to act quickly and bring the situation under control before it escalates into a larger conflict.
“I will call on the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to fulfil his responsibility as governor of Rivers State, to assure the people of Rivers State that he is there to protect them in difficult times like this.” Nsuke said.
The Ogoni leader noted that the ongoing conflicts have serious potentials of escalation being ignited by a multinational oil firm and the leadership of Rivers State has a major responsibility to bring the situation under control.
We gathered that conflicts started last week after an oil well in Ledor was assessed by some people who claimed to be representatives of the NNPC. The people turned them back on grounds that their claims were not verifiable.
Two days later, armed youths raided the Ledor community shooting at community dwellers who are predominantly farmers.
