As you may all know Kogi State have pushed Aguleri people to the wall and we can no longer fold our hands and do nothing.
The Orient Oil belongs to Anambra State in Aguleri land but we have witnessed the killing and destruction of Aguleri properties and loss of our loved ones by the mercenaries hired by the government and people of Kogi State to lay claims to our land with the hope of forcefully ejection of Aguleri from her ancestries land in Aguleri Otu.
Mr. Jacob Edi, the Special Assistant to Kogi State Governor restated the claim of Kogi State when he said “That oil belongs to Kogi State. OPL 915 which has oil in commercial quantity is in Odeke in Ibaji Local Government of Kogi State”.
His statement was reinforced on Tuesday night when his people attacked Aguleri again burning our homes and taking our people hostage despite the presence of the army personnel.
We have called on the government of Anambra State to protect Aguleri because of the Oil Wells and we have equally sent a strong message to the Federal Government of Nigeria to restrain the Government and people of Kogi State but our plea have fallen on deaf ears.
However, we wish to make one more appeal to the Mr. President as the Commander in Chief and the Chief Security Officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to restrain the mad administration of Kogi State Government.
We shall give 7 days’ cooling period from TODAY after which Aguleri would have no other option than to defend herself against the invasion of our land by mad dogs from Kogi State.
We wish to remind Mr. Jacob Edi and the Government of Kogi State that in 1994 when their son Col Mike Attah was then the Military Administrator of Anambra State, he sponsored an attack on Aguleri people which is commonly called the Obele War. Just as the Ibaji people came at the dead of the night so also Obele people came. You can ask your son rtd Col Attah the end story, so shall be the faith of these mad dogs from Ibaji Local Govt of Kogi State.
Mr. Jacob Edi went on to say “There is no community in Kogi State fighting the people of Aguleri. Kogi State is not known for shedding blood; it is the people of Aguleri and Umuleri who are known for fighting and shedding blood. I suspect that what the people of Aguleri want to do is to create an alibi so as to frustrate our efforts to reclaim our oil through due process.”
Aguleri are peace loving people. We acknowledge our past with dignity as we have every right to defend our land against any of our neighbours. We have a very cordial brotherhood with our brothers the people of Umuleri and our respective past is no longer an issue. An unconditional peace has returned to both towns to the Glory of God.
However, Mr. Jocob Edi failed to tell the Nigerian people why Kogi State walked out of the physical inspection of the boundaries by the National Boundaries Commission and the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation. They have resorted to trouble shooting to blackmail Aguleri. The people of Odeke pay royalty to Aguleri for farming and fishing rights until the Orient Oil was commissioned by Mr. President. This is a fact that is both Historical and Legal.
If Aguleri is forced to defend herself, we make no guarantees to the future of Orient Oil and the huge resources Anambra State Government and other stake holders invested on this project.
Aguleri people have had enough. We are not afraid to defend ourselves. We have placed Nigeria and Anambra State on Notice. Thank You.
–
Phil Chinwuba Esq.
General Secretary Aguleri Foundation of United Kingdom.
