3 die as NNPC jetty go up in flames

Bolaji Ogundele, Port Harcourt - 20.12.2007

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) loading Jetty in Okariama, Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, went up in flames, while three persons were reported dead on Wednesday morning as militants suspected to be loyal to Ateke Tom, the wanted leader of the Niger Delta Vigilante engaged the Joint Task Force (JTF) in a shootout.

However, other reports indicate that the fire at the loading bay was as a result of the increased activities of illegal oil bunkerers in the area.

Residents of the area said there had been increased militant activities in the area since the JTF raided Ateke’s armoury in Okochiri last week, which saw to the recovery of several arms and ammunition.

“They will come out and shoot and harass us and we would run away. There was relative peace before, but since there were moves to harass Ateke, we have not known peace,” said a concerned villager who craved anonymity.

The identities of the men killed were yet to be confirmed. However, eyewitnesses told the Nigerian Tribune that they were workers of the NNPC on duty at the time of the attack.

Their corpses, it was learnt, were lying at Okoriama at the time of this report.

When the Nigerian Tribune visited the area, men of the JTF were seen parading the area while security had been tightened to forestall future attacks by the gunmen.

Spokesman of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, confirmed the attack, saying that men of the JTF were in control and blamed Ateke Tom for the renewed militant activities in the area.