The people of Opu- Nembe in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have written to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu exonerating the Special Weapon and Tactical Team (SWAT) and the former Minister of State Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva of involvement in illegal oil bunkering.
The people in a statement signed by all sectors of the community represented by Chairman deputy- Chief council, Chief Okolo Dede, Chairman, Elders council, Indoma Igbalbo, Chairman special elders council, Igbogi Yemabise Amalagha, Chairman CDC, Mr Konbonimi Awori, Youth President, Mr Toinpre Sambo, Young Ladies President, Mrs Beatrice Awululu Numoyu and Chairman Opu- Nembe Council of Chiefs, Chief Yousuo Theo Iruo alleged that a petition against SWAT and Sylva written by some faceless individuals to the NSA, was baseless.
The representatives while insisting that those who allegedly wrote the petition are ghost names fabricated by the sacked youth President of the community, Moses Ayerite, stated that what the SWAT team has done since its arrival in the community on August 12 2023, was restoring peace to the troubled community thrown into chaos by the sacked youth council and the council of chiefs in line with a script written by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led government in the state.
According to them, the sustained agitation and deliberate lies against the SWAT team is geared towards forcing the Inspector- General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun to remove the SWAT team from the community which would pave the way for the sacked youth council and the Council of Chiefs to invade the community with militants.
While noting that a similar unfounded petition was written against the Army, the representatives urged the NSA to probe the activities of the sacked youth council and their collaborators in the former council of chiefs in connection with illegal oil bunkering in the community.
“We are the representatives of the people of Opu- Nembe, and we declared that the allegations against SWAT and Timipre Sylva are all lies. Sylva’s only crime is that he is from the community, and he contested the last governorship election against Governor Douye Diri. INEC has declared the results and he is at the Tribunal challenging the outcome.
“The SWAT team since they came into the community have helped to restore law and order. Their presence has kept criminal elements from the community. What those sponsoring the unsubstantiated petitions against SWAT want to achieve is for the SWAT to leave the community so that they can invade the community and plunge it back into chaos with their reign of terror. The people of Opu- Nembe are happy with the SWAT team for bringing back peace into the community”
