ThisDay (Nigeria): Hosts Dissociate Selves from Shell kidnapping: Posted 15 January 2006

The people of Dodo River communities in Bayelsa, hosts of the EA field belonging to  Shell, have dissociated themselves from the recent kidnapping of oil company workers in the area.

Hon. Berry Negerese and Hon. Franklin Simon,  representing the host communities, said in a statement in Yenagoa on Friday that the Dodo River Communities Regional Development Council had nothing to do with the heinous act.

The nine communities, made up of Amatu I and II, Bilabiri I and II, Besangbene, Letugbene, Ogbeintu, Azamabiri and Orobiri condemned the action in its totality.

"We hereby categorically state that the recent happenings in our territory, such as the kidnapping of oil workers at the EA field and the bursting of oil pipelines in different locations in our territory does not enjoy the backing of our communities,'' they said. "We completely dissociate ourselves from this act."

The communities warned perpetrators of such ugly acts not to use Dodo River or its environment to cause havoc, or convert the area into a battlefield.

They told both the law enforcement agencies and oil companies operating in the area, such as Shell, Chevron and Agip, that their people were not involved in the attacks.

They pledged to continue to maintain the existing cordial relations with government agents and the oil companies.

The chairman of the group, Negerese, alleged that the perpetrators of the act were believed to have come from neighbouring Delta State.

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