Posted by The Port Harcourt Telegraph on
A boat traveling to Nembe, carrying opinion leaders including elected councilors has vanished.
A boat traveling to Nembe, carrying opinion leaders including elected councilors has vanished.
A total of 10 souls had boarded the boat after a meeting held by the chairmen of Nembe and Brass Local Governments to try and resolve differences that have arisen from claims and counter claims over which community between Basambiri and Odioma owns a portion of land.
Out of the number of persons who were traveling in the boat, four were elected councilors.
The trip from what we heard ought to last about forty-five minutes.
A source in Yenagoa told this publication that after three hours and nothing was heard about the boat or its occupants, an alarm was raised
News of the sudden disappearance of the boat and those who were on the voyage came as a shock to Government House Yenagoa Friday.
The Bayelsa government immediately despatched security personnel to embark on the search of the high seas for those who are missing.
Although people are reportedly speaking in hushed tones over who could have been responsible, many in the Bayelsa capital already attribute the attack to cult group that is sympathetic to one of the communities that are at war over land.
The land has suddenly acquired significance following a plan by the Anglo-Dutch firm, Shell to build a flow station.
Apparently, from information, the meeting which took place Friday did not resolve the differences.
Both sides are believed to have maintained a hard line, refusing to let go of the land and the perquisites that are likely to accrue from the siting of the flow station.
All over the Niger Delta, oil projects expected to boost development and local economy in the grassroots have usually resulted in bloodshed, with oil companies most of the time accused of inspiring such head-on clashes. So far, there is no evidence that Shell's posture may be behind the fierce contest between the two communities. As at the time of going to press, government officials were reportedly trying to get to the root of the latest problem.
Not much detail is available at the moment but the Telegraph is monitoring developments there.