Ogoni Rioters Chase Out Leaders at First Consultative Forum

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Angry Ogoni youths on Saturday chased out some leaders of Ogoniland at the first meeting they called to respond to the appeal by President Bola Tinubu for Ogoni leaders to hold consultations with the people to discuss outstanding Ogoni issues. Prominent among the issues to be discussed is the resumption of crude oil and gas production in Ogoni land. Nigeria needs this to increase oil production and enhance Nigeria’s revenue. 

The meeting was convened at the Peace and Freedom Centre in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State and was billed to be addressed by some of the Ogoni leaders that met with President Tinubu last month.

The meeting had hardly begun when a huge crowd of people drawn from the four local government areas overwhelmed the hall.

The conveners then moved the meeting to the open field to capture more people. But the crowd was uncontrollable, even as the leaders called for calm.

Among the Ogoni leaders that were billed to address the crowd were Senator Barry Mpigi, Chief Victor Giadom, Mr. Ledum Mitee and Most Rev. Ignatius Kattey.

They had hardly started to speak when the crowd became riotous as the venue was invaded by protesters with placards, some of which asked for a supposed $300 million Ogoni fund alleged to have been cornered by a former governor to be released to the Ogoni.

Panic ensued as the protesters began to use the plastic seats as missiles and sent people scampering. The Ogoni leaders immediately escaped into their vehicles and sped out the place.