Oil Thieves using Women, children as human shield at illegal refining sites – Gov raises alarm
Oil Thieves using Women, children as human shield at illegal refining sites – Gov raises alarm
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has raised alarm over a disturbing new development in the illicit oil bunkering trade.
He revealed that women and children are now being exploited as human shields at illegal refining sites.
Speaking during a crucial meeting with top traditional rulers and local government chairpersons in Yenagoa on Tuesday, Governor Diri described the troubling discovery, which was made by security forces during recent surveillance operations.
The governor urged traditional leaders to take proactive steps in educating their communities about the severe health and environmental risks posed by illegal oil activities.
He said: “The report I received recently is that at illegal bunkering sites, they now have children and women, which is a dimension I have never heard before.
“Sometimes, when the military are authorised to destroy those camps and they get there on reconnaissance, they discover that children and women are used to shield those places. So, we all have to work together in our domains to educate our people.
“There was a situation where the military moved in and discovered that children and women were there and had to withdraw.”
Governor Diri has called on traditional rulers and local council chairmen to take decisive action against the rising issue of illegal activities, particularly in the Southern Ijaw, Ekeremor, Brass, and Nembe council areas.
He further urged the monarchs to report any oil bunkering sites within their territories, emphasizing that tackling this problem requires a united, collaborative approach.
