Ese Oruru vs Yunusa: A test case on relationship between Arewa, Urhobo

MOSOGAR—THE leadership of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, led by Chief Joe Omene, has accused the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, of bias in the role it played in securing the N9 million bail granted Yanusa Dahiru in his trial over Ese Oruru’s abduction.

Speaking, yesterday, in Mosogar, Delta State, Omene lamented the quality of legal representation Yunusa was given, saying that UPU would send a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, to represent them at the next trial date.

Describing the case as a test case on the relationship between Arewa and the Urhobo, Omene said: “There is more than meets the eyes in this matter.

“Yunusa, as an individual, cannot afford a SAN to represent him hence we believe ACF, which has been at the background in the matter, won’t stand on the part of justice and fairness in this case.

“If ACF is biased in this matter, it will strain the relationship between them and the UPU as they are supposed to be law abiding in protecting the rights of the under-aged girl child.

“Our SAN representative, who is the UPU Secretary General, will represent us at the next date of proceedings and advice us on what is going on.”

Ese Oruru vs Yunusa: A test case on relationship between Arewa, Urhobo

Urhobo militant group blows up gas trunklines in Delta

UGHELLI—AN Urhobo militant group, Urhobo Gbagbako, yesterday, claimed responsibility for two explosions that rocked two major gas trunklines belonging to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, located on the boundaries of Afiesere and Ekredjebo communities and Otedo and Edjovwe communities both in Ughelli North and Ughelli South Local Government Areas of Delta State.

Urhobo Militants

Urhobo Gbagbako, in a statement by its spokesperson, Priest Omodjuvwu, said that the explosions were in protest against those he called “traitors” the NPDC had continued to send to Urhoboland in a bid to manipulate their unsuspecting and once peaceful communities.

He said: “These petty crumb eaters can only cause pains to the NPDC, Shoreline and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in a promised sham settlement to the lingering crises to these companies and government agencies.

“In believing the empty promises of these evil doers and traitors, you continue to slowly drive your NPDC, NNPC and Shoreline into a certain abyss you will never recover from and we the Urhobo nation will continue to demand for our fair share of the pipeline surveillance contract jobs for the sake of equity and justice.

“We, Urhobo Gbagbako, a militia group of all ex-militants, youths, women and elders of Urhobo ethnic nationality, did not and have not given any individual or group, authority to speak on our behalf on any issue as it concerns the pipeline surveillance contract job.”

Confirming the incident, President General of Afiesere community, Mr. Emmanuel Shikaleke, said: “I was called by officials of NPDC, who had earlier come to assess the level of damage on the trunklines by the actions of the boys.

“For now, there is nothing we can do other than leave the matter for the authorities to handle. As I speak with you, men of the Nigerian Army are at the scene to forestall further attack.”

 

Urhobo militant group blows up gas trunklines in Delta

Urhobo Militant group claims responsibility for Delta pipeline explosion

An Urhobo militant group, Urhobo Gbagbako, on Friday claimed responsibility for Thursday night’s bombing of the NPDC Oil pipelines at Ighrenene, Afiesere and Ekiugbo communities in Delta State.

The group, which made the claims in an email sent to some reporters, said it is also planning to shut down all the oil fields in Urhobo and Isoko areas.

The email signed by the group’s s spokesperson, Priest Omodjuvwu, said the bombing of the Ekiugbo/Ighrenene/Afiesere was to draw attention to the neglect of ex-militants of Urhobo extraction.

It said the Urhobo had been sidelined in the pipelines protection contracts offered to ex-militants from other ethnic groups and they now want to show that they too had the capacity to cause trouble if ignored.

The group said it had sent warning signals to the NPDC and the federal government on the pipeline surveillance contracts, which had excluded the Urhobo.

Urhobo Gbagbako however dissociated itself from media reports about a 14-day ultimatum given to the federal government and NPDC on the oil pipeline surveillance contracts.

“We have now resumed attack on the NPDC pipeline facilities on a massive scale, which scale of bombings shall be unprecedented,” the email said.

The group said the attacks will continue until the Urhobo got what rightly belonged to them.

It explained that Urhobo Gbagbako Group is a militia group of all ex-militants, youths, women and elders of Urhobo origin.

Urhobo Militant group claims responsibility for Delta pipeline explosion