Mike Nwidobie, the spokesman of the Yolar Oil filed in Ogoniland has attributed the recent surge in killings in parts of Ogoniland in Rivers State to the fresh moves to resume oil exploration in the area.
He made the claims during an interview in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Nwidobie said the quest to control parts of the area in the oil exploration process has led to a supremacy fight among the cult groups.
“It’s obvious, of course, if you want to come to Ogoni to do oil production, there are rival groups in the place fighting to be in charge and be in control. It’s very simple”.
NPDC came to Ogoni on Monday the next day killings started, up till now there are killings. When some of the people come, they pay homages to them and the group that homage wasn’t paid to would want to show that they are in control”.
“Even when they come to do elections, the boys are patronized”
He also blamed some chiefs in Ogoniland for being behind the recent move to resume oil exploration despite the opposition by the Ogoni people.
While acknowledging that he was not against the resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland, the community leader said the right things need to be done, noting that oil exploration cannot be going on while the cleanup process is still ongoing.
