Women hold Bayelsa chiefs hostage over feud with Shell

By  Samuel Oyadongha, Yenogoa

The protest against the management of the Shell Petroleum and Development Company (SPDC) in Nembe Kingdom, in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, took a twist after aggrieved women and youths reportedly held hostage scores of community chiefs over alleged lack of support against the oil company.

Some of the senior chiefs and community leaders had a fortnight ago stayed away from a protest action staged by women and youths in the Nembe Kingdom to stop oil exploration activities at the oil field of the SPDC.

According to sources, the action of the protesting women and youths was provoked by the continued disregard of the SPDC to the agreement reached at  meeting with the company on the need to provide two CAT 200kva before the Yuletide season pending when it would build a gas turbine for the community.

Armed with placards, the protesters were said to have stormed the venue of an enlarged meeting of the chiefs in Nembe, accusing them of frustrating their efforts.

It was learnt that the meeting of the chiefs, which was being held under the Nembe-Ibe, was stopped midway with doors to the town hall reportedly locked to prevent them from escaping.

The women insisted that such treatment of the traditional heads will continue if they failed to support the  protest against the oil giant.