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Planned Onshore Divestment: Community Calls for Payment of Farmland Damages by SPDC

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Planned Onshore Divestment: Community Calls for Payment of Farmland Damages by SPDC

By: Michael Mike

People of Ejalawa Community in Oken-Ogosu in Egbalor Ebubu/Eleme in Rivers State are set to truncate the planned selling of Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited’s onshore property, insisting that court order for the payment of damages caused their farmland should be made first before any other consideration.

The community equally has the federal government to ensure that the oil company pay its adjudged debt due to degradation of farmlands before it is allowed to wound up its onshore business in Nigeria.

The Chairman of the Community, Erastus Olungwe,in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, said Federal High Court in Owerri, Imo State presided by Justice T.G Ringim has ordered Shell and two others to pay N800 billion to the community for the damages caused to farmland and others by oil spillage in 2019.

Olungwe, in the statement said: “The court also ordered multinationals to promptly and expeditiously remediate Ejalawa land to International Agricultural Soil (IAS). We want to draw attention of Federal Government to an important legal development that concerns the community as regard environmental pollution.

“Based on this background that court in Owerri has rightly recognized the severity of the oil spillage and taken measures to seek redress for our community hence the judgment delivered in Suit No FHC/OW/CS/05/2020 a case between Chief Isaac Obor-ntito Torchi ,and 87.vs Shell and 4 others.”

He lamented that the environmental pollution caused by oil firms has had a detrimental effect on many communities causing risk to our health, natural resources and overall well-being of the community, adding that Shell despite the legal order seek to liquidate its assets, including the property that is crucial to the realisation of our rightful compensation.

He noted that: “The oil firm has made a public notice of her intention to sell her entire shareholding without first complying with the Order of Court. That is the Order mandating Shell to compensate Ejalawa community with the sum of N800 billion as well as clean the community.”

Olungwe further maintained that the impending sale threatens to deprive the community of the just restitution that has been adjudicated upon and, consequently, prolongs the anguish and hardships they have endured.

He urged the federal government to restrain Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigerian from selling or parting with any of its property until it has fulfilled the Order of the Court.

Planned Onshore Divestment: Community Calls for Payment of Farmland Damages by SPDC

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Troops clear bandits’ camps, rescue victims, recover arms in Bauchi

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Troops clear bandits’ camps, rescue victims, recover arms in Bauchi

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops under Operation WUTAN DAJI have cleared several bandits’ camps, rescued kidnapped victims and recovered arms during clearance operations in Bauchi State.

Security sources said troops of 33 Artillery Brigade Garrison, in conjunction with elements of the Brigade Headquarters and a team from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), carried out the operation in Kumbodoro forest and Kumbodoro village.

According to the sources, the operation was led by the Commander, 33 Artillery Brigade, Brig.-Gen. S.S. Shehu, as part of ongoing efforts to rid the area of criminal elements.

They added that several bandits’ camps, including Azuge camps, were cleared during the operation, while a number of the criminals were neutralised.

Items recovered include four skeletal rifles, four dane guns, two pairs of boots, three helmets, a power bank, a Startimes decoder, one FN rifle magazine, one AK-47 magazine, communication links, a jackknife, six mobile phones, arrows, radio chargers, ATM cards, photographs, identity cards, as well as several pairs of security agency uniforms and leg chains.

The sources further disclosed that eight kidnapped victims were rescued during the operation.

They said troops are currently holding position within the Kumbodoro forest to consolidate gains from the clearance mission.

In a related development, the sources said troops deployed at Duguri, in collaboration with local vigilantes, recovered 36 cows at Mushen Kura village following information that the animals were roaming the area.

“The cows are suspected to have fled from bandits’ camps due to the ongoing operations and are currently in custody for further action,” the sources said.

They noted that troops’ morale and combat efficiency remain high, while operations continue to deny bandits freedom of action in the region.

Troops clear bandits’ camps, rescue victims, recover arms in Bauchi

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Joint security forces raid herders’ camp in Rivers, recover arms and ammunition

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Joint security forces raid herders’ camp in Rivers, recover arms and ammunition

By: Zagazola Makama

Joint security operatives under the Joint Task Force, South-South, Operation Delta Safe, have raided a suspected herders’ camp in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, recovering arms and ammunition.

Security sources said the operation was carried out at about 1:30 p.m. on April 12 along the IPO community axis by troops of 6 Division Garrison in collaboration with personnel of the Air Force, Navy, Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and Civil Defence Corps.

According to the sources, the raid targeted identified herders’ and cattle rearers’ camps in the area.

They added that items recovered during the operation include one AK-47 rifle, one pump-action gun, 274 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and four mobile phones.

The sources noted that the operation is part of ongoing efforts to curb illegal possession of firearms and enhance security across the Niger Delta region.

Joint security forces raid herders’ camp in Rivers, recover arms and ammunition

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Zulum establishes quarry centre, procures 70 trucks for infrastructure development

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Zulum establishes quarry centre, procures 70 trucks for infrastructure development

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has announced the establishment of a quarry centre in Pulka, Gwoza Local Government Area, to accelerate infrastructure development in the state.

Zulum made this announcement on Monday while flagging off the distribution of 70 brand-new Howo pickup trucks to the Ministry of Works and the State Road Maintenance Agency (BORMA) at the Government House.

The 70 Howo trucks are designed to boost the operational capacity of the Ministry of Works and its supervising agencies. The trucks will enable the swift delivery of materials to sites and faster intervention on distressed roads.

According to the governor, the quarry centre will provide locally sourced materials including granite, gravel and sharp sand to support ongoing and future road projects, reducing dependence on external suppliers and cutting costs.

“We have achieved a lot in health, education, agriculture, security, and road construction among others. However, we still have challenges of constructing roads within the state, especially in rural communities,” Zulum said.

“My administration has established a quarry plant in Pulka with a processing capacity of 120 tons per hour. The State Government spent at least 3 billion to establish the quarry plant”, he added.

According to the governor, due to the prevailing insecurity, most contractors are not willing to work in Borno.

“You know, no serious contractor will take the risk of deploying his equipment to most of the implementing areas, so this is the reason we are here”, the governor reinstated.

“So, we have no option but to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Works, the capacity of Borno State Road Maintenance Agency (BORMA), the capacity of special projects, monitoring departments and other MDAs that are responsible for road construction.”

The brief ceremony was attended by the Secretary to Borno State Government, Bukar Tijani, Acting Chief of Staff, Dr Babagana Mustapha Mallumbe, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Works, Engr Baware, BORMA Chairman, Engr Sadu Auno, the Special Adviser on Monitoring and Evaluation, Engr Bukar Gujubawu and other senior officials.

Zulum establishes quarry centre, procures 70 trucks for infrastructure development

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