Posted by By Tunde Raheem, Akure on
Gunmen numbering about 60 were said to have struck in Awoye in Ilaje Local Government area of Ondo State at the weekend and allegedly abducted five oil workers. Investigations revealed that the five workers allegedly kidnapped by the gunmen were staff of Express Oil, and were said to be working on a platform in Awoye before the gunmen struck.
Gunmen numbering about 60 were said to have struck in Awoye in Ilaje Local Government area of Ondo State at the weekend and allegedly abducted five oil workers. Investigations revealed that the five workers allegedly kidnapped by the gunmen were staff of Express Oil, and were said to be working on a platform in Awoye before the gunmen struck.
A source who identified himself as Akinkanjuomo Alaiku gave the names of the abducted oil workers as Capt. Tajudeen Adebanjo, Leke Omayebaje, Adeniji Tinnah, Martins Ebiyaon and Mike Obas.
According to the source, the gunmen were unhappy about the insensitivity of the oil workers to their plight.
They pointed out that the company that had been operating in the community for decades have failed to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people of the area.
Trouble was said to have started some months back when the company stopped paying royalties to the people of the community.
The source who claimed to know the whereabouts of the abducted oil workers said that the gunmen might harm the five persons if the company failed to enter into negotiation with them.
Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Adeniran Aremu, however, said that nobody was abducted.
A senior official of the State Security Service in the state also denied occurrence of such incident when contacted on phone
He said men of Nigerian Navy Forward Operation Base in Igbokoda said such thing did not happen in the area.
But a source hinted that management of the oil company has started negotiating with the gunmen.
Alaiku said the oil workers would be released if the conditions are met on time.
The Chairman of the Implementation Committee of Chevron Memorandum of Understanding, Prince Philemon Ebiesuwa had earlier confirmed the incident when he told Daily Sun that some people asked him if he knew the oil workers kidnapped by the gunmen