- The governor revealed that in some instances, security forces authorised to destroy the illegal camps withdrew after discovering women and children were being used to shield the sites
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has expressed grave concern over reports that women and children are being used as human shields at illegal oil refining camps in the state.
Speaking on Tuesday during a meeting with first-class traditional rulers and local government chairmen at the Government House in Yenagoa, Diri described the trend as alarming and called for urgent collective action to address it.
“The report I received recently is that at illegal bunkering sites, they now have children and women, which is a dimension I have never heard before,” he said.
The governor revealed that in some instances, security forces authorised to destroy the illegal camps withdrew after discovering women and children were being used to shield the sites.
Diri urged traditional rulers, particularly in riverine communities such as Brass, Ekeremor, Nembe, and Southern Ijaw, to educate their subjects about the health and environmental risks posed by illegal oil refining.
“There was a situation where the military moved in and discovered that children and women were there and had to withdraw,” Diri noted.
He also called on the monarchs to report oil bunkering activities in their areas, stressing that tackling the menace requires collaborative efforts between the government, traditional institutions, and local communities.
Illegal oil refining has persisted in Bayelsa State despite increased operations by security agencies. To combat the issue, the state government earlier directed local council chairmen to set up vigilante groups to monitor and curb oil bunkering activities.
Governor Diri reiterated the urgent need to address the problem, highlighting its devastating impact on human health, the environment, and the state’s economy.