The report on suspected case of arson over the Thursday fire that razed over 50 homes and settlements in Ijawkiri, one of the host communities of the disputed Soku Gas Plant in Oluasiri Kingdom of Nembe Local Government area of Bayelsa is creating tension and security concern in the border area.
Authorities of the Nigerian Police in Bayelsa state confirmed that over 300 persons were on thurday rendered homeless and that a detachment of armed policemen have been deployed to the tensed area.
LEADERSHIP SUNDAY gathered that the fresh deployment was a back up to the earlier deployment of troops to forstall conflict between Kalabari and Bayelsa communities in the area.
But the calm in disputed area was on Thursday shattered by a late night fire and took members of the community who had already gone to bed by surprise.The incident created pandemonium in the area as community folks battled till 1am on Friday to put it out.
While some indigenes of the community alleged sabotage and claimed some suspected arsonists were responsible.The suspicion was further backed by a Police source that claimed that some unidentified persons overran the community on a speedboat and set the neighbourhood ablaze.”Some persons were said to have arrived on a speedboat when people were sleeping and set the community ablaze. After fulfilling their mission, they took off”.
Already,the fresh rising suspicion is creating a tension in the disputed zone and fear of conflict or reprisal attacks is being expected.
The Chairman of Oil and Gas in Nembe, Chief Nengi James, confirmed that over 300 persons were displaced in the fire.”Their major occupation is fishing. The fire destroyed properties worth millions of Naira. There is confusion in the community. We don’t know who set the community on fire because the incident came suddenly”,
The Police Piblic Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Fidelis Odunna, confirmed the incident and said the police had deployed their operatives in the area to forestall breakdown of law and order.