News
Sekibo Destroys 27 Illegal Refineries, Nabs Eight Suspects
No fewer than eight persons suspected to be pipeline vandals have been arrested in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The suspects were nabbed by operatives of a task force set up by the council chairman to fight illegal oil bunkering in the area.
The team, in an operation led by the Akuku-Toru Local Government Chairman, Hon Rowland Sekibo, last Wednesday, also destroyed 27 illegal refineries in Obonoma creeks in the LGA.
Sekibo said four of the sites were destroyed at Agama creek, adding that the operation was still on.
He said, “A total of six locally-fabricated ovens/artisanal refineries and five oil reservoirs filled with products suspected to be crude oil and refined petroleum products allegedly owned and operated by one Mr Ikior, were discovered.
“The task force was able to manually dismantle and destroy the ovens to avert any outbreak of fire that will further pollute the already combustible environment, thereby adding to the menace of black carbon in the atmosphere, rather than diminishing its effect.
“On Sunday, January 23, 2022, which was the Day Two of the clampdown on illegal bunkering, alias ‘Kpofire’ in AKULGA, the task force on illegal bunkering, with the assistance of the joint team of the military and para-military personnel, invaded yet another camp situated deep in the creeks of Fonosama and Agama in Obonoma community, where we uncovered another four illegal refinery sites and makeshift storage facilities. The owner of the camp is yet to be identified.
“On Monday, January 24, 2022, members of the task force and a team of combined military and para-military personnel, uncovered more sites in the mangrove swamps of Fonosama in Obonoma, were a total of 10 locally-made refineries and over 20 reservoirs, containing products suspected to be crude oil and already refined petroleum products, were stored. The alleged owner of the site is one Mr Portus.”
Sekibo noted that the task force dismantled the ovens and the makeshift huts, and confiscated some equipment on the site, adding that a total of 27 illegal oil refineries were uncovered and destroyed in Obonoma.
He said the team arrested eight suspected pipeline vandals, adding that they were apprehended with their equipment.
The council boss called on the youth of AKULGA to desist from the criminal venture and reconsider the harm it was causing to the environment.
Similarly, as part of his commitment to rid the LGA of illegal bunkering activities,Sekibo, and the taskforce on illegal bunkering, together with members of the local vigilante and a joint team of the Nigerian Navy, Department of State Service (DSS), and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), stormed Idama community, last Thursday, in continuation of the clampdown on illegal refineries in the area.
A total of six locally fabricated tanks/ovens used for the refining of crude oil were discovered, including seven metal and two dugout reservoirs containing petroleum products and its derivatives at Kala Idama and Imokolo in Akuku-Toru LGA.
Also found at the illegal bunkering site, which appeared to be in active production, were materials for the construction and assemblage of another artisanal refinery, and a makeshift camp of about eight huts.
The task force was able to manually dismantle the tanks, confiscate the materials on site, and also destroy the makeshift camps.
By: Nelson Chukwudi
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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