Stakeholders in the Niger Delta have condemned Shell’s use of the military to invade Kula Community in Akuku-Toru local government area of Rivers state.
The spokesman for the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Anabs Sara-Igbe said in a statement on Sunday that it is an insult for Shell to forcefully use security operatives to enter the area when they are yet to resolve their pending matter which is before Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo and Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu.
Sara-Igbe stated that Shell’s actions are capable of triggering unrests in the local government, calling on the multinational to desist from its use of force to intimidate host communities.
However, the people of Kula kingdom on Sunday, 16th of September, reiterated their calls for Shell to vacate the community.
The call which was made by thousands of women from the community was due to the continuous pollution of the area by Shell.
The community members insisted that for over 40 years of Shell’s operation in the community, nothing has been done to develop their land, adding that for SPDC to operate in their land SPDC, NNPC and the State government who drafted military personnel to the community and over 10 gunboats should be ready to kill all of them.
The women who led a peaceful protest to the company’s operational base in the community which has been shut down since last year assured the world of their commitment never to allow Shell operate in their land again.
