The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has strongly condemned ongoing attacks on some Ogoni communities inTai local government area including Gbaken 1, Gbaken 2, Ledor and neighbouring communities which have come under heavy attacks from armed youths said to be attached and sponsored by neighboring Ndoki in Oyigbo Local Government area.
The attacks has completely displaced a large portion of the affected communities and created an internal refugee crisis in the area prompting fears of another displacement and possible massacre similar to the experiences of the 1990s when some 14 communities within the Ogoni borders in Tai and Eleme local government areas were ransacked by the Nigerian soldiers causing massive deaths and displacement.
Secretary General of MOSOP, Alex Akori who spoke for the organisation condemned the attacks and called on the Nigerian authorities to take immediate steps to protect the residents within the border region with the Ibo people.
He blamed the attacks on multinational oil companies seeking to violently displace the Ogoni people from their richly endowed lands and to kill innocent citizens for the sake of oil and gas.
MOSOP called for an immediate deployment of state security forces to protect the affected border region and restore order. The MOSOP Secretary said the government and governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has a responsibility to protect the people and bring the perpetrators of these acts to account.
“This is an unfortunate and very painful traumatic experience our people are being made to go through at this time”
“It is regrettable and we call on the government at the federal level and at the level of the state led by our governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to promptly take urgent steps to restore order within the affected region and communities”
