KADUNA – There was palpable tension in the early hours of Mon­day in the oil rich Egbe­mo-Angalabiri/Agbidiama communities as youths and women numbering over 1,000 on a peaceful protest shut down Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Rig in the commu­nity.

Speedboats conveying the community indigenes with various placards with in­scriptions “Shell stop dealing with Kenneth Oboku,” “Stop giving our wealth to strang­ers,” “Stop dealing with ex­pired GMOU board” and “Constitute a new one now” amongst others stormed the facility and shut it down.

Daly Independent learnt that the protesters lead by a notable business man from the community, Comr. Be­nikama Ebimotimi Alex, decried what they termed the divide rule tactics of the Dr. Jude Ebibokefie’s GMOU Board whose tenure has ex­pired over a year ago.

Benikama Alex alleged that the community indi­genes were shortchanged and not carried along with regard to the GMOU agree­ment.

He said, “We are here for a total shut down of Shell Rig until our demands are meant. We cannot be living in abject and debilitating poverty in the midst of plen­ty while few individuals who are not members of Egbe­mo-Angalabiri community cart away all jobs, contracts, thereby depriving us of de­velopment.”

“We are not leaving this rig until our issues are ad­dressed. Nothing is hap­pening here today. We are not fighting government or anyone. All we want is for Shell to show us the GMOU they signed with our fathers thereafter we sit down and dialogue. We cannot con­tinue to sit down while our common wealth is being plundered by total strang­ers,” Benikama said.

Also speaking with jour­nalists, a woman leader from Agbidiama Commu­nity, Mrs. Ebikaboere Pere­somene, said the high rate of unemployment, poverty, joblessness and other social vices in the community were becoming unbearable.

An attempt by journalists to speak with Shell Manage­ment was unsuccessful as top staff at the rig refused to speak to press men.

As at the time of filling this report, Daily Indepen­dent learnt that the rig was fully occupied by the protest­ing community members who vowed to resist any attempt to disperse them with their blood until their grievances are looked into and resolved amicably.