One of the widows whose house was burnt (standing), with her son, and sympathisers.
Some irate youths in the Niger Delta have engaged the Nigerian military in a fierce gun duel in the oil-rich region. Some armed youths of Odiemerenyi community, Ahoada East Local Government Area, Rivers State, supposedly ambushed and attacked a team of Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, TEPNG, who went on a Joint Inspection Visit, JIV, to assess the damage and seal the spill site.
The attack came as officials of the company rebuffed their illegal demand of N5 million.
The youths purportedly went wild and exchanged gunfire with soldiers attached to the team, who bravely repelled the onslaught, according to the Vanguard.
The spill occurred on OML 58 pipeline belonging to Total E and P Nigeria Limited, last week, reportedly polluting Amashell stream, the major source of drinking water to the people, and also destroyed farmlands and aquatic lives in the community.
The youths purportedly went wild and exchanged gunfire with soldiers attached to the team, who bravely repelled the onslaught, according to the Vanguard.
The spill occurred on OML 58 pipeline belonging to Total E and P Nigeria Limited, last week, reportedly polluting Amashell stream, the major source of drinking water to the people, and also destroyed farmlands and aquatic lives in the community.
Another house allegedly burnt by soldiers at Odiemerenyi, in Ahoada East LGA.
A source in the village, who pleaded anonymity, told NDV that officials of the company visited the community to stop further spills from the facility, but some youths in the area molested them. He disclosed that the youths allegedly demanded the company to pay them N5 million before they would be allowed to access the site and check the spill. They went berserk and exchanged gunshots with soldiers attached to the team.
NDV gathered that when the soldiers overpowered them, the youths ran into the community. However, the soldiers took the battle to the community, razing down the house, which they alleged some of the boys ran into and beating up several persons, including an aged widow.
Speaking to NDV on the matter, an ex-councilor in the area, Mr. Henry Mishack, condemned the invasion of the community by soldiers. Mishack regretted that instead of Total to meet with the stakeholders in the community, it rather instructed the soldiers to shoot at the protesting youths and burn down their houses.
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