TELL Magazine

Former Military Governor of Old Rivers State, Alfred Diette-Spiff escaped mob attack on Wednesday from members of Twon Brass community in Bayelsa State that were protesting against Agip Export Terminal management for the blackout the community has been suffering for some time now.

Diette-Spiff, who is the Amayanabo of Twon Brass had tried to placate the protesters to leave the premises of Agip Export terminal when the protesters reportedly hauled missiles at him.

The protesters alleged that the monarch knew of the several efforts by Agip to shortchange the community and did not stop them, so the community no longer had confidence in him representing them in talks with Agip.

Diette-Spiff was said to have appealed to the people to allow discussions with Agip be concluded before resuming their protests. But that did not go down well with the protesters.

During the attack on him, Diette-Spiff was said to have been whisked away to the neighbouring community of Okpoama.

Mr Edward Edison, Youth President of Twon Brass said that the timely intervention of the youths and armed security agencies deployed to the terminal saved the day. But he said a 24-year-old man was shot in the process. Though he did not say what the state of the gunshot victim was.

The protests by members of the Agip host community had disrupted activities at the oil firm’s office premises located on Brass Island, near the Atlantic coastline.

The community members comprising women, youths and elders, had since May 14 occupied and blocked access to Agip’s operational office beating drums and singing solidarity songs, while demanding immediate restoration of power.

Chief Benjamin Obuala, Chairman, Twon Brass Community Development Committee (CDC) said the people of Twon Brass will continue to remain peaceful in ventilating their grievances over the power outage which had persisted for over two months.

Media Relations Official at Eni, parent company of Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) , Cioni Maririna, declined comments on the development.