Sunday Jonah Wobodo, the Paramount Ruler of Ibaa community in Rivers State’s Emuoha Local Government Area, declared zero tolerance for oil bunkering in his jurisdiction.
He expressed concern that the community cannot afford to keep losing its residents to illicit activities repeatedly.
The declaration was made by Wobodo in a live radio interview with 92.3 Nigeria Info, Port Harcourt, on Tuesday.
His statement reflected his deep sadness and disquiet over the explosion that took place at an unauthorised oil refining site in Ibaa last Sunday, which tragically claimed the lives of no fewer than 18 individuals.
The monarch expressed his exasperation at the persistence of these illegal activities, despite numerous public awareness campaigns and admonishments from both him and the council chairman about their dangers.
He reiterated the LG chairman, Dr. Chidi Lloyd’s, findings that even with the presence of security agencies in the locality, illegal oil bunkering was ongoing without any decline.
Wobodo stated, ‘We have security agencies in the town. We have the Army in particular at the manifold and the Joint Taskforce.’
‘So they are also checkmating them. At the community level, we are minimised in the town, but in the bushes, we don’t know what is going on.’
‘I am going to have a meeting with my council of Chiefs and the community to tell them to put a final stop.’
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‘Anybody that we see carrying out any form of illegal oil bunkering or we see carrying bulk of oil in their possession we will report them immediately to the police or the army.’
‘Instead of this thing to stop, we are still seeing people dying as a result of illegal oil bunkering. That was why the local government chairman is surprised that despite the presence of the security agencies this thing continued.’
Continuing he said, ‘The Council chairman has been warning against this and I have also done the same, but with this incident that occurred, we are still surprised that it is still going on. Yet the security agencies are there.’
‘All I am saying is that the security agencies should wake up to the idea because they have much power and they are the people charged with that assignment. They have the right to protect us and at the same time checkmate all these illegal bunkering.’
‘All I am advising is for them to wake up to the idea from now because I will not tolerate it any longer. We cannot be losing people like this every time. It is not good.’
‘Anybody, no matter how highly placed we are going to make sure that they are dealt with if you are caught.’
‘We will put a task force in some of these places that will make sure anybody caught is handed over to the security agencies.’