By Isaac Asabor
OKOMU/Nigeria: For the umpteenth time, particularly since the month of February, 2022, gunmen has continued to attack the Okomu Oil Palm Company’s plantation in Ovia Southwest Local Government Area of Edo State. To highlight the seriousness of the attack in this context is that one of the sudden attack by the suspected criminals has led to the death of two staff of Okomu Company and the burning of 90 hectares of rubber plantation and three excavators.
Given the forgoing development, Okomu oil palm Company’s Communication Officer, Fidelis Olise, in the aftermath of one of the attacks disclosed that the gunmen also carried out an attack at the plantation thereby making it two attacks in three days.
Olise noted that the gunmen, whom he described as terrorists, carried out the latest attack, in retaliation for the arrest of two of their supposed members.
He said: “The same terrorists, seemingly angered by the arrest of two of their supposed members, carried out further attacks on innocent workers on the Okomu Oil Palm Company’s property, to avenge the arrest of their accomplices, who apparently confessed to the theft of rubber lumps.
“The suspected thieves were arrested by the marine police in a boat, after it had left Okomu Ijaw community, on its way to neighbouring Delta State.
“Killing of innocent workers of Okomu Company, who are performing their legitimate duties, and have no conflict or disagreement with any person, is strongly condemned. The powers that be should immediately take action against the terrorists responsible for the murderous crimes.
“Attacks on companies like Okomu call for concern, as terrorists are now focusing on such establishments, intent on bringing them to their knees, and in so doing create an impression that the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government is weak. The attacks also pose great threat to the current and future investments in Edo State and Nigeria, especially the agricultural sector, which is the focal point of diversification of both the Obaseki and the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administrations.”
Oliseh also stated that the time had come for the Obaseki and Buhari’s administrations to take decisive actions against the terrorists, declaring that otherwise, investments in the agricultural sector would be greatly affected, as it was the case with pipeline vandalism in the past, with the resultant negative effects on livelihoods and revenue accruing to both the state and federal government’s coffers.
He urged the police to thoroughly investigate the incessant attacks on the company’s facilities and bring the perpetrators to book, in order to serve as a deterrent to others.
Olise admonished the authorities of the military, especially the Nigerian Army and Navy, to deploy their personnel in the area, in order to ensure adequate security for residents of Ovia Southwest LGA, their property and investments, with the terrorists and cultists to be dislodged from the area.
It will be recalled that police in Edo state once at a point in the melee at Gelegele near Benin in Ovia Northeast LGA of Edo, paraded two arrested men: Destiny Tibhor, 22, and Lucky Clark, 52, for invading Okomu oil palm company, and stealing rubber lumps belonging to the firm, while they were apprehended on February 15.
The suspected criminals were paraded by the state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bello Kontongs, and a Superintendent of Police (SP), who noted that Edo Police Commissioner, Phillip Ogbadu, facilitated the arrests, in an attempt to unravel the persons behind the attacks.
Kontongs revealed that the marine police component, led by Courage Ogonmwan, SP, while on patrol in the area, intercepted the suspects on Okomu waterway, while adding that further investigation would determine whether the two suspects were among the criminals who were involved in the attacks on Okomu oil palm plantation or not.
To worsen the situation, and which has no doubt constituted a threat to the company, an insight was recently thrown into the cause of a protracted battle raging in the operational environment of Okomu Oil, and which has complicated the security challenge faced by company. As gathered, crisis still rages in Inikirogha community in Ovia South West L.G.A. in Edo State. Following an interview granted by the Western Zone scribe of the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC) Mr. Olu Derimo, and published in an online media blog, www.congressng. Com on the 28th March 2022, the youth leader attributed the attack on the community to a supremacy battle between Governor Obaseki’s SSA, Mr Godstime Ogidigba, and Mr. Robert Okubo over who controls the illegal logging business in the Okomu Forest Reserve and Okomu National Park.
As contained in a Statement issued on behalf of the leadership of the Oil Palm Company, Fidelis Oliseh said, “The protracted fight has spilled into the Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc’s Extension 1 plantation, and also where Inikorogha community residents have illegally moved onto the company’s land, prompting the State Government EdoGIS to warn them to stay away from the area or risk being attacked.
It will also be recalled that the Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc has been a target of attack by militants since February 2022 leading to massive theft of rubber and oil palm fruit. Worried by the incessant illegal logging in the Okomu Forest Reserve and ongoing attacks of employees and product theft from the company, the Obaseki-led administration have made frantic efforts to curtail the illegality and stationed Marine Police on the Okomu River to apprehend illegal loggers as they ferry logs to different destinations through the river.
Oliseh explained in the Statement that “Whilst the presence of gunboats on the Okomu River has yielded some results, the recent eruption of violence and squatting by Inikorogha indigenes on private property cannot be condoned, nor the threats by them against Government agencies tolerated. The Government should not relent in taking a firm position against the likes of these criminal factions in Okomu Forest Reserve and the Okomu National Park with the aim of routing them from these areas, even if it means bringing the army in to swoop them in order to sack squatters and restore law and order in this area”. The management noted that without a strong security effort, the criminal elements will continue to invade the community whilst investment suffers, the peace loving citizens continue to be bullied and the Governor’s MEGA theme will remain a pipe dream under these bandits and their selfish interests.
Given the situation, there is need for the governments; both at the state and national levels to step in as the company has remained under threat.
