Pipelines Vandalism: Diebiri Kingdom Nabs Oil Saboteurs, calls on Gov. Okowa, Police to deal with culprits decisively

Pipelines Vandalism: Diebiri Kingdom Nabs Oil Saboteurs, calls on Gov. Okowa, Police to deal with culprits decisively 

Francis Tayor

Warri------ In their bid to complement the efforts of the Nigerian Security Agencies, the Oil Pipelines Surveillance Team of Diebiri Kingdom ably led by the Vice Chairman of Diebiri-Batan Community, Mr. George Kpadowei, over the weekend has arrested a criminal group who are specialized in vandalization of oil pipeline installations in the kingdom. 

The gang leader, one Ebipade Issac and his gang where apprehended on Sunday 26th September, 2021, while trying to steal Batan Flowstation Oil Well Christmas Tree.

It was alleged by the Diebiri Governing Council that, the suspected syndicates are being sponsored by one Dickson Ogugu, Clement Tekedor,  Chief Harrison Gbenekama, Eric Numa, Orugbene Emmanuel, Goodluck Ekpebide, Anthony Ikpelagha, James Edoukumo, Fredrick Amalade, Fidelis Atutu, James Osuobiri, Joel Ogbobine among others who recruited and trained those boys on how to destroy under water oil pipelines, and thereafter approached the multi-national oil companies to bid for repairs contracts in order to enrich themselves. 

In a Press Statement released by the Diebiri Governing Council, on behlaf of the Kingdom on Tuesday 28th September, 2021 and jointly signed by the Chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Ayibakuro Orubu and the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Henry Suoware, said the first alleged sponsors of the criminal oil pipelines vandals, Dickson Ogugu, is a Professional Diver who uses his experience to recruit boys and train them on how to vandalize oil pipelines in the community.

They noted that Dickson and his cohorts had turned the oil pipeline vandalization activities in the kingdom as a lucrative business whereby they sent the boys to perpetrate the evil and go behind to bail them from police custody. And at the same time, they approach the oil companies for repair contracts in order to feed fat to the detriment of the Nigerian government and Economy.

The Diebiri Governing Council further stressed that the alleged sponsors of the oil pipeline vandals stated above, sometimes on the 3rd of May, 2019, blowed up Heritage Energy Oil Pipeline and pretentiously went ahead to write an official letter through one of their self styled ex-agitator who claimed to be Concerned Family Executive, Mr. Anthony Ikpelagha, to Nigerian Gas Processing and Transporting Company LTD, in order to forcefully demand for contracts to repair the vandalized oil pipeline installations which is deliberately destroyed by them. 

Meanwhile, the Governing Council on behalf of the Kingdom, has called on governor lfeanyi Okowa and the Delta State Commissioner of police to thoroughly investigate the matter and brought the perpetrators to book in order to serve as a deterrent to others, as well as to save the nation's dwindling economy, the statement adds. 

However, read below the full details of the Press Statement.

Press Statement 

28th September,  2021

VANDALIZATION OF OIL PIPELINES, WELL HEADS AND PROMOTING COMMUNITY CRISIS PERPETRATED AND SPONSORED BY DISSIDENT GROUP IN DIEBIRI-BATAN COMMUNITY LED BY DICKSON OGUGU, CLEMENT TEKEDOR, CHIEF HARRISON GBENEKAMA, ERIC NUMA, ORUGBENE EMMANUEL, GOODLUCK EKPEBIDE, ANTHONY lKPELAGHA, JAMES EDOUKUMO, FREDRICK AMALADE, FIDELIS ATUTU, JAMES OSUOBIRI, JOEL OGBOBINE AND THEIR COHORTS.

AN URGENT CAll ON THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF DELTA STATE, HIS EXCELLENCY,  SEN. DR. IFEANYI ARTHUR OKOWA AND THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE DELTA STATE, TO  INVESTIGATE AND BROUGHT TO BOOK THE CULPRITS.

" We the Executives of Diebiri Governing Council on behalf of the Kingdom whishes to draw the attention Of the Executive Governor of Delta State, His Excellency,  Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa and the Commissioner of Police Delta State, over the activities of the criminal syndicates refered above who are specialized in the VANDALIZATION of under water pipe lines in our Community Diebiri-Batan, in Warri South West Local Government Area of the State, thereby commiting Economic Sabotage.

The first alleged criminal syndicate in the person of Dickson Ogugu, is a Professional Diver who uses his experience to recruit boys and train them on how to vandalize oil pipelines in the Community. These aforesaid criminals are set of well coordinated organized oil pipeline vandals that covers a wide range of ex- militants that one can hardly identify them as pipeline Vandals. 

After they successfully Carried out their operations by destroying the PIPELINES, they will pretentiously pose as COMMUNITY Security Surveillance Contractors and at the same time pose as contractors to the Oil Companies operating in the Diebiri- Batan Oil Field in collaboration with some of the Company Staff in order to secure and collect the contracts on the pipe line they have damaged for repairs.

People could not come out bodly to confront or report them as they are terrified of being dealt with due to their palpable presence of menace and can only speak in hushed voices or whispers to one another in the community for fear of been attack. 

This group has metamorphosed into a powerful financial resourceful organization due to their vandalism and illegal businesses. They now style and named themselves as Concern Igade Family of Diebiri-Batan Community in the kingdom. 

It would be recalled that,  sometime on the 3rd of May 2019, these pretentious criminal syndicates after blowing Heritage Energy Oil Pipeline, have the effrontery to officially write a letter through one of their self styled  DISSIDENT Concerned Family Executive, Mr. Anthony Ekpelagha, to Nigerian Gas Processing and Transporting Company Ltd, to forcefully demand for contracts.

See letter attached below. 

However,  on or about Sunday the 26th of September 2021, another vandalism on Batan flowstation Oil Well Christmas tree was stolen by the same gang Spokesperson, one Ebipade lsaac who was caught red handedly in the act by the Surveillance Team on patrol led by the current Vice Chairman of Diebiri-Batan Community, Mr. George Kpadowei. 

The suspected vandals were handed over to the military at the community and was onward moved to Effurun Barracks, near Warri.

See video and pictures of the suspects attached. 

The Diebiri-Batan in it's present state is a shady zone that is sorrounded by a den of criminals. Only recently through our Petition/Report, some members of the syndicates were arrested while others are on the run but surprisingly those arrested were released without facing the full weight of the law.

The Governor of Delta State and the Commissioner of Police may not be aware of this facts and may be misinformed by highly placed personalities or politicians to immediately work on their release on a serious crime of economic Sabotage with substantial evidence and yet leave the innocent Community people at the mercy of this pretentious criminal syndicates.

However, we are still very hopeful and optimistic that even if they released them, the Police will still carry out their thorogh investigation to bring this pretentious criminal syndicates to book, " the Statement adds. 

Signed :

Mr. Emmanuel Ayibakuro Orubu- Chairman DGC

Mr. Henry Suoware- PRO Diebiri Governing Council.