Threat To Oil Facilities: Gbaramatu Warns “Criminal Elements” Of Dire Consequences

Chief Godspower Gbenekama

Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta state warned on Wednesday that any attempt by “criminal element” to capitalise on threat by dreaded militia group, Niger Delta Avengers to attack oil installations could have “dire consequences”.

This is coming as the paramount ruler of the area, His Royal Majesty, Oboro Gbaraun II, Aketekpe ( Agadagba), has put all communities chairmen within his domain on red alert.

The military authority, following threat to attack oil facilities by Niger Delta Avengers had launched air surveillance involving fighter jets as well as deployed gun boats to the area, a development which Niger Delta activist and spokesman of Gbaramatu Traditional Council, Chief Godspower Gbenekama says has put the Kingdom on danger.

The air surveillance and gun boats regiments were in reaction to what the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship, (NNS Delta), Warri Naval Base, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu says “,security concern on Escravos and the Trans Forcados Pipeline”. 

“What they are speculating as military deployment is routine patrol along Escravos and the Trans Forcados Pipeline, he said, adding, “Once we sense any security concern on that line, our men usually move in to patrol the area. Nobody is deploying any gunboat or jets to specific communities. It is a normal patrol”. 

But Gbenekama disgreed with the navy’s chief assertion when speaking to BigPen Online in a telephone conversation on Wednesday, saying that the air surveillance was to take coordinate aerial view of the traditional ruler palace and the Gbaramatu Kingdom’s guest house, which the military had erroneously targeted in the past as “haven” for “militia elements”

He said that it was worrisome that the military had turned Gbaramatu Kingdom into a battlefield, but warned that anybody or group of person who make attempt on oil pipeline situated in the Kingdom in a bid to force the military against the locals or leveraging on the current crisis for self-serving reasons  would face “extreme consequences”.

According to him, worried by alleged threat by Niger Delta Avengers, the traditional ruler of the Kingdom have asked all communities chairmen within Gbaramatu to be on the lookout for suspected “criminal elements” who would want to sabotage oil installations and blame it on insurgents.

“I call you in regard to the present threat Gbaramatu kingdom appears to be facing. Threat arising from Avengers and threat arising from military presence. As I said yesterday (Tuesday), military aircraft, fighter jets were on surveillance in the length and breadth of Gbaramatu Kingdom and it cause alot of fear and tension among our people. 

“What we think is that they are taking coordinate mapping of the Kingdom in order to wreak havoc on the monarch’s palace and guest house and other targeted soft spot of Gbaramatu Kingdom but I want to said it again here that Gbaramatu Kingdom is not at war with the Federal Government or its agents.

“However, we want to warn criminal elements who want to use the present situation to cause confusion and set Gbaramatu on fire to desist and halt the plans.

“We want to announce to you that anybody who get close to oil pipelines in our domain with intent to vandalize them would be apprehended and handover to security agency, Gbenekama warned, adding, “no criminal element should capitalize on the present situation to wreak havoc on oil installations”.

“The monarch has directed that all the chairmen in the Kingdom should be vigilant and that if they see any strange face in the Kingdom or notice that any son of rhe Kingdom is planning or about carrying out pipeline attack, such person should be apprehended and handover to the security agents.

Gbenekama however reiterated that Gbaramatu Kingdom was not in support of the indifference attitude of federal government towards the 16-point demands of PANDEF but quickly added, “we wouldn’t support the behaviour of Niger Delta Avengers”, either, as both the federal government and Avengers have eroded the gains of the tentative peace and security in the region.

“In as much as we are pleading with Avengers to give.peace a chance, we are also appealing to federal government, the military authority and the navy not to turn our communities into a battlefield. We don’t harbour Avengers, we don’t support Avengers and we are not Avengers. We are just under-developed people, seeking for development of their area. So deploying military jets and fighter aircraft to the Niger Delta region and Gbaramatu Kingdom in particular is not the answer”. 

The Benemowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom said that the failure of the federal government to leverage on the cease-fire agreement entered into with the militant groups in 2016 should be blame for the resurgence of militancy in the region.

According to.him, the crisis in the region was escalating because the federal government device “divide and rule” tactics after securing the cease-fire agreement saying “they went to sleep and left all the burning issues including the “low hanging fruits” which ought to served as palliative measures untouched”.

“All the issues raised by the militant group’s emissaries which is PANDEF led by Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark has not be attended to. None has been tackled since the cease-fire. The low hanging fruits, like Ogoni clean up, take off of Maritime University,Okerenkoko, Export Processing Zone project, Okerenkoko and Escravos road, relocation of International Oil Companies (IOCs) headquarters, etc have not be attended to”, he said.

He said that if these project’s implementation can be fast track, there wouldn’t be cause for agitation and youths restiveness in the Niger Delta region, adding however that the inaction of some agency of government and personnel should be solely blame for the renewed crisis.