The management of Okomu Oil Plc, on Thursday, raised the alarm that a portion of the rubber plantation belonging to the firm had been taken over by gunmen who now tap the product at will.
The company’s spokesperson, Fidelis Olise, who disclosed this said that the occupation took place a day after the leadership of the Western Zone of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) paid a solidarity visit to the company.
He lamented that the security personnel invited to come and arrest the situation could not shoot at the gunmen despite that most of the bandits were brandishing arms and ammunition in their presence.
“The leadership of the Western Zone of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) led by Oluderimon Omaghomi had on Monday paid a condolence/solidarity visit to Okomu Oil Palm company plc.
“During the visit, the IYC leadership commiserated with the company on the killing of a worker and the setting ablaze a portion of the company’s plantation, pledging to support the company to bring to an end the occurrence of further attacks on the company personnel, equipment and plantation.
IN CASE YOU MISSED THESE FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
- ‘Officials initially offered to help but when the number of able-bodied citizens at the centre increased, they left us unattended to’
- Why Ogun Tops List Of ‘Yahoo Boys’ In Nigeria ― Governor Abiodun
- Police, Amotekun after criminals on Lagos-Ibadan expressway
- Suspected cannibal pays N500,000 for boy’s human organs, says ‘that’s my favourite meal, especially the throat’
- Court awards Nnamdi Kanu N1 billion over invasion of his home by military, asks FG to apologise
“The IYC also pledged to organise, at the grassroots level, the representative of the communities and also help in the enlightening/training the communities executives on their roles in proper representation of their communities in their engagement with the company.
“Barely 24 hours after the solidarity visit of the IYC in their attempts to bring to an end the repeated attacks on the company’s plantation, another group of armed men attacked the company in continuation of the theft of the company’ wet rubber lumps,” he said.
According to the company’s spokesman, while the latest attack lasted, “a head person was seriously beaten and they forced him and other rubber tappers to carry out of the plantation, the wet rubber lumps that have been collected by the tapper.
“The gangsters have apparently taken over a portion of the rubber plantation and are now tapping the rubber trees themselves.
“The police and army sent to apprehend the thieves are reticent to shoot at them even when the gangsters brandish guns and the limitation of the security forces have helped in no small way to embolden the gangsters.
“It is unbelievable that gangsters can continually raid a corporate organisation and yet the security personnel cannot intervene or apprehend them and bring them to justice,” he added.
and then