Bayelsa communities threaten battle with Shell’s security firm

Twelve communities, cutting across Ekeremor and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State under the Shell EA Field, have threatened to confront a private security firm working for Shell over constant harassment and intimidation of local fishermen in the coastal lines.

According to the community leaders, some local fishermen were being restricted from carrying out their fishing occupation in the rivers where the security firm, ‘Ocean Marine Solutions’ is located, a situation the communities insist was affecting the peoples’ means of livelihood as they depend on fishing for survival.

The communities’ leaders, in a  statement in Yenagoa on Tuesday, signed by the chairman of the Shell EA host Communities Development Committee (CDC) Chairmen Forum, Mr Ebimobowei Deboh, and the Paramount Ruler of Beseigbene community, Chief Jonathan Ibe, the people called on the state government to call the company to order to avoid confrontation between the communities and the company.

They said: “We are calling on the Bayelsa State government to prevail on Ocean Marine Solutions, the security firm operating under Shell EA Field to stop harassing and intimidating our local fishermen from carrying out their occupation.

“As Ijaws and riverine people, our main occupation and means of livelihood is predominantly fishing and farming, so any attempt to deny us access to our rivers is to sentence our people to starvation and death and we will resist such.

“As a peace loving people, we have endured this intimidation and harassment for long and if it’s persists, we may be forced to take the laws into our hands.”

In his reaction, a management staff of the firm, Mr Abel Ogobene, said the allegation was not true, adding that the people employed by the company were indigenes of the communities.