ERA & Our Philosophy Committees & Contacts Reports
ERA & Our Philosophy
Committees & Contacts
Reports
ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS ACTION (ERA)
MORE LIVES GOES FOR OIL:
In July 1998, at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Warri, while
Mobil (another Oil Company) was paying compensation to victims of the January
12, 1998 oil spill at Idoho platform, men of the MOPOL opened fire on the
innocent and unarmed people. A youth was critically wounded and is still
receiving treatment at a private clinic in Warri. Compensation payment
has since been suspended.
On Tuesday 4/8/98, Dietsmann Nigeria Limited, the Nigerian partners
of Diamond Drilling Company was carrying out offshore contract for Texaco
Oil producing company. The youths in Warri had welcomed the contract given
out by Texaco with the hope that they would be offered some jobs. A number
of youth groups wrote letters from Ijaw, Urhobo and Itshekiri to the company.
The management of Dietsmann Nigeria Limited invited them to a meeting on
4/8/98.
The youths gathered at the palace of the Ovie of Uvwie, HRH Chief Ehrokue
1, Warri for the meeting. From the palace, representatives were selected
to negotiate on their behalf. Among those selected were Mr. Hendricks Opukeme
(President, Ijaw National Youth Movement) and Mr. Paul Ibeyon (President,
Uvwie community).
While the dialogue was taking place at another venue, the police suddenly
arrived the palace led by the Divisional Police Officer of Ekpan Police
Station Mr. Innocent Okafor. Mr. Dere Akere a youth leader, was informed
by the police that they were invited by Dietsmann Nigeria Limited. According
to him, ‘the police ordered all the youths to leave the area
immediately or be shot." Before any one could utter a word, the police
opened fire on us and one of us (Mr. Andrew Ofoni, a 20-year-old boy from
Agoro community in Ekeremor LGA of Bayelsa State ) fell. He died on the
spot. We were all shocked because it was unwarranted. We were waiting peacefully
for the outcome of the negotiation and what we got for being peaceful were
Mr. Hendrick Opukeme, President of the Ijaw National Youth Movement,
of which Mr. Ofoni was is embittered. ‘The company, Dietsmann
Nigeria Limited. ordered the shooting by the police", he says. "They invited
the police when there was no provocation from any quarter. They invited
us for negotiation at the Uvwie palace and we went only to be killed. The
Divisional police Officer, Mr. Okafor should also be tried for asking his
men to shoot and for allowing himself to be used by the company. It is
so painful’.
Meanwhile, Mr. Andrew Ofoni was been buried at his hometown Agoro on
August 19, 1998. Dietsmann Nigeria Limited paid the sum of two hundred
and fifty thousand naira (N250, 000.00 or USD 3000.00) for the burial expenses
of Mr. Andrew Ofoni, and a total of one million four hundred naira (N1.4m
or USD 16,500.00) to the family.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
214 Uselu-Lagos Road, P.O. Box 10577, Benin City, Nigeria
tel/fax + 234 52 600 165 e-mail: [email protected]
POLICE GUN DOWN YOUTHS IN WARRI FOR TEXACO, CHEVRON AND MOBIL
ERA FIELD REPORT # 16
October 16, 1998
Disprom: Felix Tuodolo
The killing of unarmed youths by men of the armed forces in oil related
matters in the Niger Delta continue unabatedly. The oil-rich city of Warri
in Delta State appears to be the focal point of such incidences. IN September
of 1997, eighteen Mobile Police (MOPOL) officers on the orders of Harliburton
(a contracting firm for Chevron Oil company) shot and killed one Gidikumo
Sule at the Opuama flow station at Egbema in Warri LGA. While Gidikumo
Sule was killed, several other youths were injured during a protest.
shots.