Bakassi Strike Force militant group ready to lay down arms, says its agitation not targeted at oil facilities

Bakassi Strike Force militant group ready to lay down arms, says its agitation not targeted at oil facilities

The Bakassi Strike Force (BSF) a militant group in the Niger Delta region on Tuesday expressed a desire to lay down arms to the federal government if the concerns of Bakassi returnees were addressed under a scheme midwife by international mediators.

A leader of BSF, Mr Simply Benjamin, aka ‘Humble Lion G1’ in a telephone interview on Tuesday claimed that the grievances of the group had nothing to do with vandalism of national assets.

He said that it was regrettable that military authorities had killed several innocent people in the guise of trailing members of the military group and in the process abusing the human rights of the people resident in the area.

He urged the federal government to withdraw the military from his community as they were in the struggle for self determination and posed no threat to national security.

Benjamin who spoke from his camp in the creeks of Southern Cross River said that unlike other militant groups, they have no record of destroying oil installations and were not involved in molesting innocent citizens.

He said that despite offering to work with the government to address the concerns of the Bakassi returnees, the military had been on his trail and disrupting residents near his camp.

He said that BSF has been agitating against the poor implementation of the Greentree Agreement after ceding Bakassi to Cameroon leaving Nigerians resident in the Peninsular without proper resettlement.

He said that the group was ready to lay down their arms and embrace dialogue under a process to be brokered by the international community to ensure that the Nigerian returnees were properly resettled and rehabilitated.

“Our grievance against the federal government has to do with the way Nigeria ceded our ancestral land to Cameroon without recourse to the feelings and rights of the people to self determination.

“Under the Greentree agreement there were steps to be taken to ensure that the fundamental rights of the returnees were protected but the government has not fulfilled its obligations under the agreement.

“We have not resorted to destroying national assets like other Niger Delta militants because it does not make sense, if we destroy assets that yield revenue, how will the federal government get money to fund the projects we yearn for?,” Benjamin said.

Meanwhile the Joint Military Force Deployed to the Niger Delta, Operation Delta Safe said that it has degraded the capacity of the group and has its intensified operations to flush out members of the group.

The military had raided several camps and shrines used by the militants and discovered over 25 decomposing human skulls and killed no fewer than 15 suspected members of the armed group in cross fire.

Lt.-Col. Olaolu Daudu, Spokesman of the Joint Force had in a statement said that troops raided the BSF camp on October 29.

“Troops of Sector 4 deployed at Efut Esighi in Southern Cross River State during anti militancy operation raided Efut Esighi forest and killed a notorious militant popularly known as Okon Iyo while he was trying to escape.

“Similarly, troops discovered the dead body of one of the Bakassi Strike Force militant who was earlier engaged in Efut Esighi but escaped with gun injuries.

“His body was seen in a bush close to the main road in Effionsa, Bakassi Local Government Area.  Meanwhile, troops also raided the compound of a suspected member of Bakassi Strike Force; Mr Otobong Sunday Essien,  at Road 27 Resettlement Center Bakassi. 

“A Motor Bike was recovered from his compound. In addition, troops intercepted a Passat wagon car owned by a suspected Bakassi Strike Force militant known as “G1”. He is the sentry Commander of the group,” Daudu said.

Daudu said that troops deployed at Ikang border while on patrol at Ikot Offing Ambai in Akpabuyo LGA in Cross River discovered militants’ shrine and also apprehended the Chief Priest of the group.

The Spokesman assured law abiding members of the communities of their safety in the ongoing military crackdown on the militants.

NSCDC warns officers against colluding with oil thieves, pipeline vandals

  

Mr Abdullahi Mohammed, Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has warned officers of the corps against colluding with oil thieves and pipeline vandals.

He gave the warning on Thursday in Yenagoa at a meeting he held with officers of the Bayelsa command of the NSCDC.

He threatened to arrest and prosecute officers and men of the outfit indicted for compromising the corps’ rules of engagements.

He warned operatives of the NSCDC attached to the Task force on Oil and Gas in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area against engaging in acts capable of tarnishing the image of the corps.

Mohammed said that the security outfit would not spare anybody going against its rules of engagement.

The Commandant-General, who spoke through Mr Desmond Agu, Commandant, Bayelsa command, urged the operatives to conduct their activities in the task force with high sense of professionalism.

He cautioned them against reckless use of firearms, warning that the rules on the use of weapons must be adhered to strictly.

Mohammed also warned that the NSCDC would not tolerate the abuse of human rights, stressing that the code of conduct and ethics relating to the civil populace must guide the activities of the security operatives.

He said: “this meeting is to remind you of the need to conduct your activities with high sense of professionalism and responsibility.

“The corps is very serious about our integrity and we cannot tolerate any action capable of tarnishing the image of NSCDC.

“If you compromise our principles, just know that we won’t spare you.

“We do not tolerate misuse of firearms. So, you must at all times remember our rules of engagement and strictly adhere to them.

“We have our Code of Conduct and Ethics especially as it relates to the civil populace.

“We won’t take any violation of human rights in your operations kindly.

“Anybody who goes against our code of conduct and rules of engagement and uses his firearms indiscriminately will be disgraced, dismissed and prosecuted. We are not joking.”

The Commandant-General commended the operatives attached to the taskforce for their sacrifice and patriotism in their efforts to stop sabotage and vandalism of critical national infrastructure in the state.

He thanked Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and the state government for their support.

The meeting was attended by all the unit commandants of the corps including the second-in-command, Deputy Corps Commander Aniekan Udoeyop.

Also present were the Head of Administration, Idima Austin; Head of Operations, Ogbolo Fredrick and Commandant Anti-Vandal, Okeke Ejione.

In his remarks, Okeke thanked the Commandant-General for appreciating the efforts of the state command in safeguarding oil and gas installations in the creeks and swaps.

He said a civil defender must live above board, saying that the motto of the corps “collect bribe and die”, remained the guiding principle of the NSCDC.

Military arrests 44 suspected members of IPOB in Bayelsa, discover 23 human skulls in Bakassi Strike Force militants’ shrine in C/River

Military arrests 44 suspected members of IPOB in Bayelsa, discover 23 human skulls in Bakassi Strike Force militants’ shrine in C/River

The Joint Military Force in the Niger Delta , Operation Delta Safe on Friday said it arrested 44 members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)  and discovered 23 decomposing Human skulls in ongoing operations.

This was contained in a statement signed by Lt-Col Olaolu Daudu, Spokesman of the joint military operation and made available to newsmen on Friday in Yenagoa.

“On 22 October 2016, troops of Sector 2, Operation DELTA SAFE in Bayelsa State acting on intelligence, trailed a group of people which led to the arrest of 44 members suspected of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

“They were apprehended at Lakeview Club along Mabinton Estate, Okaka road, Bayelsa State. This group was planning to establish Bayelsa State Chapter of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra and disrupt public peace within the Joint Operations Area of the Operation DELTA SAFE.

“Furthermore, the unity of Nigeria is non – negotiable and sacrosanct.  Hence any unlawful gathering that will cause mayhem, threaten the unity and sovereignty of the country will not be condoned,” the statement read in part.

 According to Daudu on 26 October 2016 troops in Southern Cross River State acting on a tip off carried out a raid in Ikot Ene Idem, Abakpa and Ikang Inam in Bakassi and Akpabuyo Local Government Areas (LGA) of Cross River.

 He explained that during the cordon and search operations, troops discovered four militant shrines with 23 human skulls in various stages of decomposition, a complete human skeleton and several other human body parts.

The shrines were destroyed as troops continue the search for the perpetrators of these heinous acts against humanity. 

The Joint Force stated that with the clearance of the shrines the Bakassi Strike Force has been smoked out from the areas they used to hold sway adding that ritual killing is sacrilegious and will not be tolerated within the Joint Operation Area.

Meanwhile, troops arrested two suspects while on patrol at Idebe Ifak Anam, Ikot Okon Edem and Abakpa of Bakassi LGA in Cross River.

Preliminary investigation reveals that the arrested suspects are agents of Bakassi Strike Force Militants who act as spies for them.

The statement further showed that troops in response to a distress call on October 23 2016, at Finima in Bonny LGA of Rivers foiled an attack by some cult members using AK 47 riffles to terrorize members of the community.

“Troops immediately raided their hideout. The suspected kingpin popularly referred to as Eagle Face dived into the river on sighting troops.

“Two of the suspected cult members were arrested; one locally made pistol, one machete and two handsets were recovered.

“On 25 October 2016 the body of the suspected kingpin was seen floating in the creeks by locals who recovered and buried the corpse at Bonny river bank.

“Effort is ongoing to apprehend other members of the group,” the military stated.

The statement quoted the Acting Commander Brig.-Gen. Kevin Aligbe as appreciating members of the public for their continuous cooperation, timely provision of information to troops.

Aligbe also reassured residents and oil companies operating in the Niger Delta region particularly the people of Southern Cross River of their safety to go about their legitimate businesses.

He noted that Operation DELTA SAFE has the full backing of the Federal Government to bring sanity to the Joint Operation Area within its Rules of Engagement.

                                     

Physicians’ Week : NMA Bayelsa pledges affordable, accessible healthcare

Physicians’ Week : NMA Bayelsa pledges affordable, accessible healthcare






The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) Bayelsa Chapter on Wednesday pledged to provide accessible and affordable healthcare to the people despite the current economic challenges.


The doctors assured the public that they were bound by their Hippocratic oath to providing accessible and affordable life saving services to the society at large.


The State’s Chairman of NMA, Dr Keme Pondei, who made the pledge at the 2016 Physicians’ week of the NMA Bayelsa chapter said the week is a period when medical practitioners gather to reassess the state of healthcare.


 He said the doctors evaluate the effect on the population and proffer appropriate solutions to improve healthcare delivery.


“We also during this week, provide free healthcare to rural dwellers
in the form of medical outreach.


“Despite the prevailing economic situation in the country, we carried
out a medical outreach at Agbobiri and Okordia communities, Yenagoa
Local Government Area.


“The healthcare indices for the country are really not what they
should be,” he said.


He said the NMA is non-partisan and devoted to the welfare of every Nigerian.


“We are partners in progress with government and welcome the hand of
friendship the current Government of Bayelsa has offered us.


“We appreciate the employment of twenty doctors at the Niger Delta
University Teaching Hospital Okolobiri, facilitation of accreditation
for the Obstetrics and gynaecology department.


“The approval of the corrected CONMESS, approval of land for NMA
Secretariat Complex among others.


“We pray that as partners in progress Government and the NMA will
partner to review the healthcare delivery system in the state.


“There is a need to urgently pass the State Primary Health Care
Development Agency (SPHCDA) bill that is believed to be before the
Bayelsa State House of Assembly,” he said.



Pondei, urged the Bayelsa government to revive the Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme while steps should be taken to join the National Health Insurance Scheme to achieve universal health insurance cover in the state.
.

He said the health system functions more effectively with a Commissioner of Health to facilitate the coordination of the Ministry and urged the government to urgently appoint a Commisioner of Health.



The Bayelsa Head of Service, Dr Peter Singabele, said celebration of
the Physicians’ Week was very important for efficient healthcare services.



He stressed the need for doctors to embrace peace and shun rivalry
amongst themselves, as they are one of the key professions that deal
with human life.



“Health is wealth and a healthy population is a wealthy one.


“The current economic situation has increased the morbidity and mortality
of the population, made worse by partial and irregular salaries of workers,’’ he said.

ERA/FoEN advocates non destructive means to resolving pollution conflicts in Niger Delta

ERA/FoEN advocates non destructive means to resolving pollution conflicts in Niger Delta




Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth (ERA./FoEN) on Tuesday urged Bayelsa oil communities to shun vandalism of pipelines in their bid to seeking redress for oil spills.

ERA/FoEN, an environment focused Non Governmental Organization (NGO) advocated the position at an Environmental Parliament with selected representatives of oil bearing communities in Bayelsa.

Mr Chima Williams, Head of Legal Resources Department at ERA/FoEN observed that resorting to destruction of oil facilities in the agitation for redress for oil pollution was counterproductive and devastates the sites further.

He noted that pipeline vandalism was criminal and illegal and attracts no compensation to the communities whose environment and livelihood are adversely affected.

Williams said that the NGO would offer legal assistance to communities that suffered from oil pollution incidents that were not traceable to sabotage.

He explained that ERA/FoEN was currently assisting Ikebiri community in Southern Ijaw LGA, Bayelsa to get redress for the 2010 oil leak from oilfields operated by Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC).tusing able

He said that the NGO had brought officials of the oil firm to the negotiating table using conflict resolution skills developed by the rights group in its over 20 years of work in oil communities in the Niger Delta.

He noted that there were many non-destructive means of drawing attention to pollution incidents like peaceful protests; sit ins advocacy, name and shame amongst others that have proved effective in getting response from oil firms.

Addressing the Environmental Parliament, Mr Iniruo Wills, a former Commissioner for Environment in Bayelsa regretted that the oil industry is being run for profit to the detriment of the host communities.

He said that federal and state governments were the major beneficiaries of oil revenue while a residual part trickles down to the communities whose livelihoods are often threatened by pollution from the oil industry.

Wills noted that there was an urgent need to clean up the Niger Delta environment before diversifying the economy into agriculture currently being canvassed as a way out of the current economic recession.

“In the Niger Delta, region there is a need to declare a state of emergency on the environment and make efforts to clean up the environment before the concept of diversification can happen.

“The Director-General of the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) said that more than 1,000 oil spills occur annually in Bayelsa making the state the most polluted in the Niger Delta region.

“The lack of interest by state governments in the Niger Delta governments in the environment and is inexcusable, since 1999, we have been governed by our own people so we must hold them accountable,” Wills said.

Also Mr Roland Kiente, who hails from Peremabiri in Southern Ijaw LGA noted that the oil communities were excluded from the oil industry adding that the proposed host community equity could be a panacea to vandalism.

Kiente noted that the communities remained at the receiving end of the adverse effects of oil exploration which had threatened their farmlands and waters by pollution adding that clean up of the Niger Delta required urgent attention.

Police kills another innocent person in Bayelsa

Police kills another innocent person in Bayelsa

Barely two months after the Bayelsa Police Command killed Master Innocent Kokorifa, 17 in cold blood, police operatives on Saturday killed another innocent person in Yenagoa.

The 17-year-old Innocent, first out of five children of Mr. Daniel Kokorifa, an official of the Federal Road Safety Corps, was shot dead in a mysterious circumstance by the police Anti-Vice/Anti-Kidnapping team along Airforce Road in Yenagoa, on August 18, 2016 was also buried on Saturday in Yenagoa.

The Bayelsa Police Command on Sunday said that it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of an innocent person shot in error by police while responding to a distress call.

Mr Asinim Butswat, a Deputy Superintendent of Police and Police Spokesman in a statement issued in Yenagoa that one of the three people shot in error on Saturday died in hospital.

Asinim who said that investigation into the incident had commenced said that the policemen who fired the shot was immediately identified and taken into custody.

“On the 22 October 2016, at about 1730hours, Policemen from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, responded to a distress call of cult attack at Ekeki village, Yenagoa.

“The Policemen were ambushed by the cultist.

“Consequently, a police sergeant fired, the bullet ricocheted, and injured three persons who were unfortunately not among the cultists.

“The victims were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, for treatment and one of them later died.

“The sergeant who fired has been detained. Investigation is ongoing,” Buswat said.

Oil Revenue drops as FG, States, LGs share N420bn in September 2016

 The three tiers of government shared N420 billion as revenue for September as against N510.3 billion shared in August.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, said this in Abuja on Thursday at the monthly revenue allocation to Federal, States and Local Governments.

She was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Mahmoud Isa-Dutse.

According to her, the revenue accruable to Federal, States and Local Government for September declined by N90.2 billion.

Adeosun attributed the decline to the loss of 45.5 million dollars in oil export sales, despite the increase in average price of crude oil from 46.06 dollars per barrel in May to 48.4 dollars in June.

“Force Majeure was declared at Bonny Terminal and there was a subsisting Force Majeure at Forcados Terminal.

“Shut-in and Shut-down of pipelines for repairs and maintenance also contributed to the drop in revenue.

“Also, there were decreases in volume of dutiable imports receipts from Joint Venture Cash Call, Foreign Companies Income Tax and Value Added Tax,” she said.

Giving a breakdown of how the N420 billion revenue for September was generated, Adeosun said that N250.9 billion was from the distributable Statutory Revenue of the month.

She added that N6.33 billion was refunded by the NNPC to the Federation, N63.4 billion from the Excess Petroleum Profit Tax account, exchange gain of N41.4 billion and VAT, N64.2 billion.

The minister said after deductions as cost of collection by FIRS, Customs and DPR, the Federal Government received N120.4billion, representing 52.68 per cent; states and N61 billion, representing 26.72 per cent.

The local governments, she said, received N47 billion, amounting to 20.60 per cent of the amount distributed.

She announced that N13.7 billion, representing 13 per cent derivation revenue, was also shared among the oil producing states.

Adeosun said that the country generated N135.4billion as mineral revenue and N144.3 billion as non-mineral revenue.

She said this showed a decrease of N23.3 billion and N12 billion from what the country generated as mineral and non-mineral revenue in the months of August and September.

She said that the balance in the Excess Crude Account remains 2.45 billion dollars.

Meanwhile the Chairman, Commissioners of Finance Forum, Mr John Inegbedion, said the lower revenue generated for the month would put a strain on the finances of states and local government.

“Something needs to be done to end the activities of the Niger-Delta militants because it is really impacting on the economy.

“We want to seek all support from all persons to help in bringing down the activities of these unscrupulous persons,” he said.