ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
A former ex-agitator, Comrade Endurance Amagbein, has denied the allegation of operating an illegal crude oil mining camp in Igbomotoru, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
In a statement on Monday, he said the denial became necessary because of some unfounded allegations making the rounds in the mainstream and on the social media and credited to a joint military outfit, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS).
Amadein claimed that the military outfit, allegedly acting in concert with a former paramount ruler of Igbomotoru community, dethroned for alleged high-handedness and embezzlement of community funds, reportedly tagged him as the militant leader engaged in vandalism of crude oil pipelines.
He alleged: “His accusers, who together with the military, are living in the same houseboat belonging to a prominent politician in Bayelsa, named IFIEMI, after the politician’s biological daughter went on to make unsubstantiated allegation that I am a notorious militant leader engaged in the act of vandalism of crude oil pipelines.
“In their desperation to incriminate me, it is over two weeks since the military under their directive arrested and incarcerated Pere Igoli, Patterson Joseph, Emmanuel Boma, Jonah Belawari and Paebi Obinne, torturing and forcing them to make statements linking me.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I, Endurance Amagbein, wish to set the record straight and state unequivocally that I am a peaceful and law-abiding citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I am not a militant leader and I also do not have any dealings or connections whatsoever with any illegal crude oil mining site described in any forest.
The statement is false, malicious, mischievous and made in a desperate attempt to injure my reputation and to fit into a narrative.
“On the contrary, under the guise of protecting oil facilities, a pipeline surveillance contract firm owned by the politician under the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) engaged the military to burn down my properties, those of many others, dehumanise the young and the old, desecrate a church and many other heritage sites in Igbomotoru community.
“It is instructive to state further that while the people of Olugbobiri community, the hometown of the politician are living peacefully, he has for his selfish purpose continued to orchestrate violence in Igbomotoru community by also working in concert with the military to clothe miscreants with military insignia to cause mayhem.
“It is in this regard that I wish to also use this medium to join the chiefs, elders and other leaders of Igbomotoru community to send a save our soul message (SOS) to the Bayelsa State government and to stop the surveillance contractors forthwith from further mobilising youth from his Olugbobiri community to carry out acts likely to cause inter-communal war.
“More than that, the military high command is called upon to urgently investigate the actions of its officers and men and the propriety of civilians co-habiting in the same houseboat with military personnel.”
Amadein said in their desperate desire to control the oil pipelines in Igbomotoru community, the surveillance contractors in connivance under the Agip had allegedly engaged the services of the Nigerian Army in the guise of pipelines protection but with the original motive of eliminating him for no just cause.
He said they had rendered him and many other indigenes of Igbomotoru community homeless even as they continued with their desperate efforts to assassinate him.
Amadein said if anything should happen to him or any law-abiding youths of the community, the world should hold the surveillance contractors and the oil major responsible.