Shell shuts oil flow-station due to protest

Royal Dutch Shell said yesterday it had been forced to shut down an oil flow-station in the Niger Delta due to a protest by a group of local women over a lack of development in their community, according to a Reuter's report. The Anglo-Dutch giant said it had shut down the Otumara-Escravos flow-station in Delta State because of the demonstration but was in talks with the local community and the state government to try to end the stand-off. It did not say whether production was affected.

"Dialogue with the women, their community and representatives of the Delta State government continues with a view to resolving the issue," Shell spokesman Tony Okonedo said.

Many remote communities in the Niger Delta, a vast network of mangrove creeks, remain impoverished despite five decades of oil extraction, which have left their land and water polluted.

Such protests are not uncommon.

Royalty payments from oil firms and the sharing of federal oil revenues mean state governments in the Niger Delta have larger budgets than many West African nations, but endemic corruption has meant that little development has been achieved.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and LNG Japan Corporation have commenced preliminary discussion on strategic collaboration on the Brass Liquefied Natural Gas to provide the world's most competitive Finance and LNG marketing opportunity in Asia.

The Group Managing Director of NNPC Austen Oniwon said NNPC would collaborate with LNG Japan Corporation in the value chain and urged them to expedite action as the federal government had given the NNPC a timeline for the Final Investment Decision on the LNG projects.

He said this while receiving the LNG Japan Corporation team led by the President and CEO Mr. Yasunori Takagi in his office yesterday in Abuja.

The interest by LNG Japan Corporation was traced during the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development on Foreign Direct Investment to Nigeria.

"Japan LNG Corporation is welcome into Nigeria and NNPC as a major stakeholder in all the LNG projects in the country is willing to partner with you and do business that will be of mutual interest to both parties", Oniwon said. He expressed hope that when the Petroleum Industry Bill currently before the National Assembly is passed into law, the corporation would transmute into a ring fenced organization that will play in the international hydrocarbon market like other National Oil Companies. He urged Japan LNG Corporation to serve as a vehicle that will help in linking the NNPC to other gas markets in Asia.

President and CEO of LNG Japan Corporation Yasunori Takagi lauded NNPC for selecting LNG Japan Corporation as a strategic investor and expressed their willingness to participate in the realization of Brass LNG which will have a pump-priming effect on the increase of other Japan-led investments in Nigeria.

Daily Trust

Related stories: Shell cuts output over attack in Niger Delta

Shell laments unfriendly business environment

Shell pays $15.5m in settlement of Wiwa vs Shell Case

Nigerians banding together

A mix of two different desert tribes, Nigerien band Etran Finatawa melds the sounds of the Sahara.

Wyclef talks about his presidency bid during visit to Nigeria

Days before (7-31-2010) officialy annoucning his presidential bid, Wyclef Jean talks about becoming the President of Haiti during his visit to Nigeria.

Related stories: Video - Wyclef performs live in Calabar

Video-Nigerian artists clean house at MTV Africa music awards

Sergeant. shoots DPO, kills self over N50,000

An irate police sergeant yesterday went berserk, during an argument with his superior, a Divisional Police Officer, DPO, over a missing N50, 000, shooting himself to death after shooting the DPO with the intention of killing him.

Sergeant Ibrahim Abdullahi who was said to have stolen the N50, 000 from a shop keeper in Bebeji town, Bebeji local government area of Kano State was making away, when the shopkeeper discovered that some money was mising.

An eyewitness account in Bebeji town told our reporter that, trouble started when Sergeant Abdullahi visited a shop in the town and was alleged to have stolen the sum of N50,000.

"He came into the shop, met the shopkeeper Dauda Buhari and asked after his wife Hajiya Hadiza Yahuza. The shopkeeper told him that his wife was not around. As they were discussing inside the shop, somebody came to buy some goods and Dauda left the Sergeant so as to attend to his customer.

"By the time he came back, Sergeant Abdullahi excused himself and left. But when Dauda searched the money box, he realised that the sum of N50, 000 was missing."

The eyewitness further disclosed that Dauda subsequently pursued the Sergeant and inquired from him whether he knew anything about the missing money and an argument ensued.

According to the source, the Sergeant did not take Dauda's confrontation lightly, as he tried to intimidate him.

Police sources however revealed that as the two engaged in the argument, the DPO who was sitting under a tree near the police station, noticed the Sergeant and the shop attendant arguing and summoned them.

"He invited both of them. After listening to their stories, the DPO ordered the station officer, Inspector Abdullahi Mohammed to disarm Sergeant Abdullahi and investigate the case."

The accused sergeant was subsequently disarmed and the Inspector ordered him to lead him where he said he had urinated, "because that was his excuse when he was going out from the station."

It was gathered that the late Abdullahi flared up when the DPO ordered that he be disarmed and searched over the allegation.

The police source added that the Sergeant later played a fast one when he came back to the station and told the person in charge of firearms that the Inspector had instructed that his gun be returned to him as the case had been resolved amicably.

Sergeant Abdullahi in apparent emotion of guilt, actually aimed at the DPO's chest; he dodged but was hit in the shoulder instead.

Apparently thinking that he had succeeded in snuffing life out of his boss, he then aimed the gun at his head and shot himself dead.

LEADERSHIP SUNDAY gathered that the police later discovered the stolen N50, 000 where the Sergeant had hidden it.

The genesis of the estrangement between the DPO and the sergeant was traced to the redeployment of the latter by the former to the station, from the resident of the local government chairman, Alhaji Dankaka Usaini Bebeji.

The Bebeji council boss who spoke on phone confirmed that the late sergeant appeared hostile to him when he was posted to his residence on duty, saying he complained to the DPO that late Abdullahi should be swapped with a friendly policeman and the DPO obliged his request.

Reacting to the incident, the police public relations officer, Kano State Command, Baba Mohammed Azare confirmed the incident.

According to him, the Command has commenced full scale investigation into the matter. He also explainedthat the bullet wound on the DPO is not severe as doctors at AKTH has certified that it did not pierce the vital organs of his body.

"He has all chances of survival," SP Azare assured.

He revealed that a posthumous investigation would be carried out and if the Sergeant is found guilty, he risks a sentence that would lead to his summary dismissal.

Leadership

Related stories:Police gun down 70-year old man who refused to pay bribe

Prophet gunned down in Church

Nigerian police out of control according to Amnesty International

Professional tennis player arrested for cocaine trafficking

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, at the weekend apprehended a professional tennis player, Dairo Toyin, 30, and a Lagos businessman, Okoliachu Chukwudi Augustine, 46, over alleged drug dealing.

Dairo was apprehended while attempting to board a British Airways flight to London. His final destination was New York where he usually trains in preparation for a tournament. The other suspect, Chukwudi was nabbed in his house at Festac area of Lagos. According to the NDLEA Airport commander, Alhaji Hamza Umar, both suspects have been hiding under the cover of their professions in dealing in narcotics.

"While Dairo Toyin hides under the cover of a sports man, Okoliachu Chukwudi presents himself as an importer of marbles and other building materials. Until their arrests by the NDLEA, no one would ever imagine they are into drugs", Hamza stated. Dairo, who began his professional tennis career in 1996, has represented Nigeria in several Davis cup competitions.

Notable among his international appearances are Italy in 2002, Senegal in 2004, Germany and Nigeria both in 2006. The tennis player, who hails from Ekiti State, has however, blamed his woes on frustration arising from inability to sponsor his trip to international tournaments.

Dairo lamented, "I am ashamed of myself. It was not intentional. My problem began in 2005 when my sponsor died. There was no one to help, things became difficult. In the process, I was introduced into drug trafficking. I have been smuggling drugs to take care of my bills each time I attended international tournaments. This time around, I was caught. I swallowed 100 wraps and when they weighed it, the weight was 1.445kg. It also tested positive for heroin".

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade said any drug trafficker that rejects the Agency's call for a drug-free society will end up in prison custody. "The dragnet of the Agency is large enough to accommodate all drug barons. Innocent members of the public should also beware of the devices of these enemies of the society to derail them from their destinies.

Leadership

Related stories: Cocaine and politics 

CNN's video report on the Illegal drug trade in Nigeria

Nigerian politician arrested with cocaine