Shell Engages 4000 Locals to Protect Pipeline
•Gunmen kidnap Yobo’s brother
From Ahamefula Ogbu in Port Harcourt, 07.06.2008
Shell Petroleum Devel-opment Company has entered into an arrangement called “Com-munity and Shell Together (CAST)” aimed at using people in communities in which oil pipelines are laid to protect the facilities from vandalisation.
The initiative was anno-unced about the same time as kidnappers yesterday struck in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where they seized Mr. Norum Yobo, younger brother to Super Eagles and Everton of England Football Club defender, Joseph Yobo.
Under the Cast scheme initiated to protect oil pipelines in the Niger Delta area, a projected 4,000 youths from different communities would be made to play a whistle blower role when there is any attempt at sabotaging oil and gas pipelines in their neighbourhood.
Hinting on the arrangement, the SPDC’s Manager for Pipelines Operations, Mr. Godwin Idoko, said the arrangement would cover all the 600 communities through which the 7,500 kilometre pipelines pass.
According to him, the youths would not operate like militias but would only watch and report suspected attempts at the facilities which threaten the smooth running of both the refineries and supply of gas to power plants being built across the country.
The SPDC Spokesman, Mr. Precious Okolobo, said the reasoning behind the scheme was that each community protecting the pipelines in their areas would reduce, if not stop, the spate of vandalisation across the Niger Delta.
He said the main aim was to elicit the protection of communities in protecting their facilities and though they would not carry arms, the youths would serve as an early warning system for them.
However, the younger Yobo who was kidnapped yesterday was said to have lodged at Spring Hill Hotel in Rumuomasi area of Port Harcourt and was returning to his room after a night party in the early hours of the day when the gunmen accosted and took him away.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack and that has made the motive difficult to guess. But the police have already commenced investigation unraveling but no arrest has been made.
Police Public Relations Officer in the state command , Mrs. Rita Abbey confirmed the attack. She said the kidnappers caught up with Norum Yobo at Uyo Street, brandished their weapons and seized him.
She enjoined residents of the state to be watchful and give useful information to the police to enable them track the kidnappers.
It is not unlikely that the motive of the gunmen is to get monetary gains since most kidnappings are targeted at getting money from the victim’s families. Joseph Yobo, the victim’s brother is believed to be one of the well paid Nigerian footballers plying their trade in the English Premi-ership league.
