Youths of the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta have fought dirty in Abuja over a meeting that was supposed to hold in the region but was moved to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The meeting that was supposed to be for the members of the oil-producing community from Delta State at the prestigious Sandralia Hotel in the Central District of Jabi, Abuja, turned violent on Tuesday.
The supposed peaceful meeting ended with bloody injuries which has made the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to call for the relocation of future discussions concerning oil producing communities to Warri.
The incident, which left no fewer than three people seriously wounded, has sparked concerns about the handling of internal conflicts within oil-producing communities and the potential implications for the advocacy efforts of the Niger Delta.
One of the critically injured individuals was rushed to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention.
Calm returned to the premises only after a concerted intervention by security operatives from the Utako Police Division and the hotel management.
Victor Udoh, president-general of the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders, addressed the press to discuss the tumultuous events.
Udoh said, “This impromptu press address is necessary to shed light on the unfortunate events that unfolded over the last three hours.
“Our attention was drawn to the fracas within the aforementioned hotel, where members of the oil-producing community from Delta State were gathered to hold a meeting.
“During this meeting, there were significant disagreements; some groups were excluded from the invitation, leading to conflict and even bloody injuries.”
Udoh, who leads the platform advocating for the Niger Delta’s interests, expressed dismay over the exclusion of some groups from the meeting, which escalated into conflict.
Udoh asserted that the choice of Abuja for the meeting resulted in “unnecessary embarrassment” for the Niger Delta and stressed the importance of inclusivity.
“We urge the Delta State structure of the oil-producing community to hold all future meetings in Warri, a significant city in the Niger Delta,” he stated, adding that Warri, known as the Oil City, is a more fitting location for oil-related discussions.
Furthermore, the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders called on federal agencies, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the National Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), to refrain from mobilizing community members to Abuja, citing “stress and uncertainties” involved in such travel.
Udoh also highlighted the need to involve the region’s youth in every engagement to ensure peace and tranquility.
