By David Owei,Bayelsa

Frontline Niger Delta Freedom fighter, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, has commended the remarkable industrial development of Azikel Refinery, expressing his admiration for the vision and accomplishments of the President of Azikel Group, Dr. Eruani Azibapu.

Tompolo ,after an extensive tour of the Azikel Refinery facilities and visibly elated by the scale and complexity of the project, declared Eruani as “a leader of the new industrialisation of the Niger Delta, the South-South and Nigeria.”

During the facility tour, Tompolo praised the transformation taking place in Bayelsa and was proud of Azikel Refinery a 25,000 barrel per day, $1 billion US investment. Azikel Refinery is the second largest privately owned refinery in Nigeria, which process condensate and crude oil to produce Petrol, Diesel, Kerosine, Aviation Fuel, Heavy Fuel Oil and LPG.

He said this magnificent investment is a major indigenous industrial development emerging from Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta.

He commended Dr. Eruani for demonstrating that the Niger Delta can move beyond being predominantly a producer of crude oil to becoming a region where its natural resources are processed, refined and transformed into higher-value products.

Tompolo noted that the development of Azikel Refinery represents a new narrative for the Niger Delta—one centred on industrialisation, employment creation, wealth generation, indigenous participation and value addition to Nigeria’s crude oil resources.

He further applauded Dr. Eruani’s determination and entrepreneurial vision, stating that investments of this magnitude have the potential to stimulate wider industrial growth across Bayelsa State, the South-South and Nigeria.

The visit underscored the growing significance of Azikel Refinery, the second largest privately owned refinery in Nigeria an indigenous industrial project aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity while creating economic opportunities within the Niger Delta.

“I am proud of this industrial development that Dr. Eruani Azibapu, CFR, has ignited here in Bayelsa, the Niger Delta, the South South States and Nigeria. This is the kind of development that creates employment, generates wealth and adds value to our crude oil resources,” Tompolo said.

By Uthman Baba -Naseer,Minna

The Inspector General Of Police,IGP Rilwan Olatunji Disu, has condemned in the strongest terms the abduction of over six hundred worshipers at Juma’at Mosque in Dekera village of Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

The IGP described the incident as painful,unfortunate, and heartlss.

He said the abduction of the worshipers as carried out by the armed men,is the highest level of ungodly as displayed by the armed bandits..

Addressing officers and men of the Niger State Police Command during his one day official working visit to the Command at the Police headquarters in Minna at the Weekend, IGP Olatunji Disu, noted that the armed men have taken their operational activities too far.

He noted that the kidnapping of the worshipers on the 24th, of August 2026, in Dekera village, is a very serious incident that concerned every Nigerians and the country as a whole.

“ I sincerely condemned these attacks in the strongest possible terms. I equally condemned the continued damaging of innocent citizens by these criminal elements whose activities threatened the peace and economic wellbeing and social stability of our communities” he declared.

IGP Olatunji Disu noted further that the activities of the armed bandits on rural communities whose source of lively hoods is farming is being threatened as a result of unwholesome activities of these criminal elements.

“ Wherever they are,we want them to know that what they are doing is wrong. They are targeting innocent citizens,and this is affecting the economic situation of the state, even the country in general” he added.

The IGP,explained that his visit was aimed at strengthening the ongoing efforts to rescue the abducted worshipers while identifying practical measures to address the operational challenges confronting security in the state.

He disclosed that the Police had already deployed tactical and counter-terrorism teams, and the special intervention squad and Explosive Ordinance Personnel (EOD),as part of efforts to rescue the victims in the affected Communities.

He charged officers and men of the Niger State Command to remain vigilant,proactive and professionally committed in the discharge of their duties.

The Police Chief,further urged men and officers of the Command to strengthen Community engagement and intelligence gathering mechanism,stressing the need for credible information capable of preventing attacks to be transmitted promptly to the appropriate operational authorities.

Speaking on the proposed establishment of State Police IGP Rilwan Disu,assured men and officers of the Command,that the establishment of the state Police would not in any way disrupt on-going security operations “ but it could strengthen the capacity and efficiency of security personnel in the discharge of their responsibilities.

Maintaining that the Nigeria Police Force remains the primary Policing institution in the country, with a critical responsibility for the maintenance of internal security.

While acknowledging the sacrifices of Police officers,IGP Disu noted their courage,resilience and commitment to duty remain essential to the collective efforts to secure Niger State and the country.

Speaking earlier, the Commissioner of Police in Niger State,CP Abdullahi Adamu Elleman, appreciated the laudable support received from the IGP since the abduction and the attacks on the Worshipers.

He described Niger State as the largest state with land mass in the country which he said as a result of the landmass it posed a serious challenge to effectively policing the state.

He disclosed that the three Senatorial zones in the state are facing peculiar security challenges which he attributed to the state bordering some neighbouring states which include Zamfara,Kebbi,Kwara,Kogi and FCT.

CP Adamu Elleman commended the IGP for deploying the Assistant Inspector General Of Police in-Charge of Zone 7 AIG Victor Olaiya as a result of the abduction of the Worshipers,stating that his presence in the state,has boosted the morale of the personnel already on the rescue of the victims.

By Dvid Owei,Bayelsa

The Bayelsa State Government, on Thursday, urged communities in Biseni clan in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state, to discontinue blocking of access roads to oil facilities as response to unmet demands from oil companies operating in the area.

The Deputy Governor, Dr Peter Akpe, made the call at a meeting with the leadership of Biseni Kingdom, officials of Oando Plc and relevant top government functionaries in Government House, Yenagoa.

Dr Akpe, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, underscored the importance of using peaceful means of resolving conflicts, stressing that the act of staging frequent protests was inimical to the corporate image of the state.

He, therefore, advised the people of Biseni, to make a comprehensive documentation of all their grievances and demands, and submit same to appropriate government offices within a week for action.

The Deputy Governor equally directed the state Ministry of Mineral Resources to interface with Oando Plc and its host communities in Biseni, with a view to resolving the recumbent issues, including the construction of the dilapidated road linking the communities and some oil facilities owned and operated by the oil firm.

Dr Akpe, who expressed dissatisfaction with Oando’s handling of the issues, urged the oil company to cooperate with the Ministry of Mineral Resources, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders to achieve amicable resolution of the conflict in no distant time.

His words: “As a government, we are not comfortable with such protests, because we believe there are better alternative ways to go about resolving issues. Road blocks will not solve any problem. They will rather cause more harm than good for you.

“Let’s not also burst pipelines because the oil that is spilled will destroy our farmlands, our rivers and fishes; it is we that will ultimately bear the economic, social and environmental cost. It doesn’t help us in any way.

“As paramount rulers, I want you people to deal with these issues. Government works in strata. So, report to the appropriate offices and action will be taken. Clearly, I can see that there is no proper organization and coordination on the side of the company concerning the issues.

“So between now and Friday next week, let there be a comprehensive compilation of everything that has to do with the Biseni matter and it should be submitted to my office for further engagement.

“Get yourselves well acquainted with what is right to do, get your facts and get to the Ministry of Mineral Resources and they will give us the feedback. But please don’t ever go to block any road again.”

In his contributions at the meeting, the Chairman of Yenagoa Local Government Council, Hon. Bulodisiye Ndiwari, said the grievances of the people were justified, which result from alleged failure on the part of the oil companies to implement mutual agreements with the communities.

Hon. Ndiwari described the roads being used by the oil companies to access their facilities in Biseni as death traps, which informed the decision of the people to block the roads in protest against Oando Plc, and Renaissance Africa Energy Company for the companies to reconstruct the deplorable roads.

Speaking on behalf of Oando Plc, the Lands Manager , Sir Okechukwu Onuemize, disclosed that the position of the company ab initio had remained that of rehabilitating the bad portions in the road and not a full reconstruction of the entire road as being canvassed by the communities.

On his part, the Acting Clan Head of Biseni, His Royal Highness Williams Wariebi threw his weight behind the position of the State Government and appealed to his people to desist from incessant blocking of the roads in the best interest of the Biseni clan and the entire state.