My younger sibling was among those “taken hostage” – Usor Community Youth Chairman, Aderojor

The Youth Chairman of Usor Community in Warri North Local Government Area, Mr. Raymond Aderojor, says his younger sibling, Gbade Aderojor, was among “those taken hostage”, around Dibi field between 29th of November to 3rd of December, 2024 and “the reason for the raid is yet to be rightly spelt out, either the where about of those taken away known, other than they were taken to Oporoza.”

Aderojor, who is the Chairman of Agbokumasa group, said in an electronic statement made available to Fresh Angle International: “Those who had made those fallacious publications (referring to persons who extricated Tantita from the raid) to play down these facts for reasons best known to them, are not from Dibi fields and know nothing of what happened, neither did they experience it or their family members victims.

“At the time of writing this response, they are yet to contact my mediate family, community leaders and the local government chairman of Warri North Council, Hon. Festus Ashima.

“Shreds of evidence of these raids, which had left our home base community residents in fear and witnesses are very much intact and alive. Those interested parties, who doubt should refrain from making careless statements or defence without facts, as I am very much available to take them on tour to the community to see for themselves and hear directly from victims and witnesses what had happened.

“I strongly believe the job of Tantita Security is to recruit, train and supervise/monitor the host community indigenes to guide the pipelines in their territory and not to forcefully enter, raid host communities to multinational pipelines, steal/destroy properties and take residents hostage. Painful of it all, is that at my last check (but stand to be corrected), the Tantita Security outfit does not cover Dibi field and the communities, but direct Chevron Pipeline Security (where I serve as coordinator) whose employers were also victims of the Tantita Security harassment during the raid.

“I once again restate that the act of pipeline vandalism, is not the style of Itsekiri people. I strongly join well-meaning Nigerians in condemning it and I am open to working with the relevant agencies to bring the culprits to book. Nevertheless, the act of unlawful raiding of Itsekiri host communities and taking people hostage by a private security outfit must be looked into properly.

“I use this opportunity to appeal to my Itsekiri people not to play party politics or sub-contractor defence mechanism with this matter at hand.

“All we seek is the release of our brothers and the outright stop to the forceful entering and raiding of Itsekiri communities in the riverine.”

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