HeadlineHow Illegal Crude Oil Cartel ‘War’, APC/PDP Tussle Fuel Renewed Ugborodo Crisis

How Illegal Crude Oil Cartel ‘War’, APC/PDP Tussle Fuel Renewed Ugborodo Crisis

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SAN FRANCISCO, July 31, (THEWILL) – The crisis rocking Ugborodo, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, which deteriorated into a major clash in Warri, the commercial nerve centre of the State on Monday, is allegedly being fueled by the illegal crude oil bunkering ‘war’ ongoing between cartel members in the Itsekiri riverine area of the state, THEWILL can authoritatively report.

Dependable sources told THEWILL that the many deaths and destruction of property in Ugborodo are crude oil bunkering-related and not necessarily the fight over which faction should control the interface committee which is to liaise between the federal/state government and the community on the proposed $16billion Export Processing Zone (EPZ) project.

It could be recalled that Ugborodo has been rocked by severe crisis in recent years of which a number of youths and properties have been destroyed since 2012, with all the killing and destruction pointedly attributed to the leadership tussle brewing in the area between Chief Thomas Ereyitomi and Hon David Tonwe, both who have been at dagger drawn for years over who controls the soul of Ugborodo.

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But further investigations by THEWILL have revealed the largely unreported subterranean illegal crude oil- related ‘war’ which has been brewing between cartel members in the area who are actually being used in stirring the age-long rival in Ugborodo.

Most of the cartel members, it was reliably gathered, were formerly loyal to Chief Ayeri Emami, an oil and gas magnate and key player in Ugborodo until they parted ways with him after Ayeri’s repented to preach peace and loathe the illegal crude oil business after picking appointment as chairman of the Delta State Waterways Security Committee, a community-based agency established by the state government to ensure the waterways is free of sea pirates, kidnapping and other social vices prevalent at that time in the area.

THEWILL learnt that Amajuma Atete (aka Young Chief), who hitherto has been allegedly used to persecute the Ugborodo crisis for years by the David Tonwe’s faction had recently went berserk, allegedly leading a ‘war’ against Tonwe’s faction and other members of the ‘illegal bunkering cartel’ after he parted ways with the Tonwe’s group over alleged disagreement over misappropriation of N200million naira largesse realised from their illegal bunkering deals in Escravos.

The said Amajuma, who is alleged to be the ‘General Organiser’ of the bunkering cartel in Escravos dumped the group to pitch tent with Chief Ayeri Emami and Thomas Ereyitomi’s group to wage war against one Michael Lodge and Ofe Nene, accused of being the ringleaders of the illegal bunkering cartel in Ugborodo and masked men of Tonwe’s faction who allegedly swore to an oath to ‘fight’ Emami and Ereyitomi to the end.

THEWILL has learnt that the illegal bunkering cartel comprises of about seven persons simply identified as Michael Lodge (Leader) and Ofe Nene (Chairman), Wilson Ejeh (aka Obibi) Richard Arubi, Ogbe Ofobo (Ugborodo branch PRO) as well as Amajuma Atete (Organizer) who recently reneged to spill the bean, owing to allegations that they have been used and dumped by Tonwe for the many violence in Ugborodo.

Amajuma, who is now accused of being an ‘informant’ to Chief Ayeri Emami by members of the cartel after working against Emami for years, is alleged to be the one organising the bunkering business and often used to perpetrate shield deals for the faction loyal to Tonwe until the purported break away following the dispute between him and Ofe who reportedly mobilised ‘boys’ to burn his houses over the weekend and in reprisal attack, Amajuma allegedly went berserk destroying and burning houses, cars worth several million belonging to Ofe.

Speaking in a telephone conversation, Amajuma told THEWILL that they were incited and recruited into the Ugborodo ‘fight’ by Tonwe who often paid them at least N350, 000 per month to ‘fight’ Emami and Ereyitomi who he had a long-lasting feud with, saying they were group of ‘boys’ doing illegal bunkering business in the waterways until they were recruited to ‘fight’.

“Tonwe was paying us N350, 000 per month to fight Ayeri and Thomas. Before now, we do bunkering business in Ugborodo. We were armed to fight and Michael Lodge was the one holding the arms. Each time we want to strike the other faction, they will beg us to rest that it is not yet time…. But the quarrel between I and Ofe started from illegal oil business because not transparent, he used all our money to buy flashy cars, and houses and leave us with peanut that’s why we quarreled….. They went to destroy my house, my father’s house because I left them. So, I went and destroyed his houses and cars too. The battle line have just been drawn and I am very prepared for them…..

“The fight has nothing to do with EPZ. We (Tonwe’s boys), that were incited and paid to fight are now fighting ourselves because of bunkering money. I can tell you today that the Ugborodo crisis is more political now than any other thing. What is happening in Ugborodo is the illegal bunkering war between Ofe, Lodge and myself and others and plans by Tonwe to use us fight the PDP/APC crisis over the senatorial elections and other elections in Delta state. Tonwe has been lobbying us to join APC telling us that he want us to be in one place (party) when the ‘big fight’ come (referring to thuggery during the elections). It has no link with the EPZ. They are just using EPZ as a cover but the real fight is being fuelled by bunkerers and those politicians who want to use the ‘boys’. I will give you their names another day. They said before we would settle, election may have come and gone because they know if we settle, they might not have us to use”.

Our source revealed that some politicians who are afraid that the PDP might not give them the ticket to run the next Senatorial, House of Representative and governorship election were also fueling the Ugborodo crisis to their own selfish interest.

Our source reiterated said that the brewing ‘war’ has nothing to do with the EPZ project which was only caught in the web of brewing cartel ‘war’ in the area between members of the syndicate who apparently are same people being used by the key players in the Ugborodo crisis to perpetrate all the violence in the area.

The brewing ‘war’, THEWILL learnt was only sparked up by the stopping of the displaced persons who were mainly former members of the Tonwe’s faction who had turned around to pledge loyalty to the Ereyitomi controlled faction from gaining access into their communities by youths who were reportedly mobilised to stop the state government initiated moves to bring peace to the troubled area.

Dependable sources said the illegal bunkering business has been an “organised crime” aided by some ‘big names’ in that part of the state pointing out that the multi-billion dollar EPZ project which is often on the news as cause of the tussle in Ugborodo was only caught in the web of the subterranean ‘war’ in the area of which both the Army and the Navy are indicted.

The source who confided in THEWILL alleged that both the Army and Navy Chiefs in Warri get ‘kick back’ of about N10million per month from the ‘cartel’ to enable them look sideway while the ‘boys’ carry out the illicit trade unhindered adding that one reason why the Army in particular, has refused to be part of the peace process in Ugborodo was because they are heavily involved in the illicit business and are enjoying the benefits of the largesse accruing to them monthly.

However, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s effort to resettle the displaced people in Ugborodo during the crisis and ensure that peace reigns before the groundbreaking of the EPZ project has gone nowhere, with the renewed ‘war’ in the area which may worsen the situation at hand if not nipped in the bud.

Meanwhile, the Tonwe faction has given fresh condition for peace to reign. They are requesting the unconditional release of all the people jailed in the community, even six years back. They are also demanding the release of the corpses of those killed during the crisis for burial and that all those who committed ‘crime’ against the community should come back to apologise and receive proper punishment from the community.

Tonwe was quoted to have earlier said that there was no house burning in Ugborodo, as reported, adding that this was a ploy by the Ayiri group to sell a wrong impression to the world about what is going on in the community.

He said further that claims that some displaced persons were refused re-entry back to the community was a deliberate distortion of facts, noting that the concerned persons, about nine in number, were the same set of people who had invaded the community with arms, an offence the people and elders of the community would not just sweep under the carpet until the right steps are taken.

“No house was burnt in Aruton, these are all stories. The story line is this; Ayiri and co, the 11 of them, are not displaced people, they don’t even live in Ugborodo; Isaac Botosan lives in Warri, Julius Atete lives in Warri. They are not displaced people, they have their problems with the community.

“They should go back and sort out their problems with the community individually. Nobody will say don’t go to the village. So don’t paint it as if there is crisis, nobody is fighting in Ugborodo, if you come into Ugborodo, the community is peaceful. We are trying to make sure that that community is free from oppression”, Tonwe said.

But giving a graphic details of how the Navy was confronted while on the mission to resettle the internally displaced persons (IDPs), the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS, Delta, Captain Musa Gemu, who led the naval team expressed frustration at the attitude of Aruton youths and leaders , saying there was no indications that the people want peace in Ugborodo.

He said: “This is not the first time. I met with leaders of the two sides the day before. They assured on being on ground to take the lead as all the displaced persons are led back home in peace. On the agreed Saturday, only Isaac Botosan and Ayiri Emami of Thomas Ereyitomi bloc were on hand to lead the displaced persons to Ogidigben and Ajudaigbo where they are in control.

“David Tonwe who gave his word never showed up to talk to the boys at Aruton to resettle the displaced persons there. These same youths at Madangho and Aruton who refused to allow displaced persons return home also scared people from leaving to Ogidigben and Ajudaibo.

“It is not like the Aruton youths can resist the Navy. Applying force now is not the spirit of the peace process. So I asked my men to pull back. I went in with just two men and interacted with the community elders and youths. Their feeling is that the said displaced persons committed sacrilege against the community and they need to appease the land and atone for their action before being allowed back in the community.”

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