> > ERA FIELD REPORT NUMBER 20 > > CHEVRON'S NEW YEAR GIFT: THE OPIA AND IKIYAN MASSACRE DESPATCH LINE: > OPIA & IKIYAN DATE: JANUARY 8, 1999 FROM: VICTORIA ALUYOR > > * TWO VILLAGES RAZED DOWN AND INHABITANTS SACKED > * TRADITIONAL RULER, OTHERS MURDERED > * CHEVRON'S "ILAJE COMMANDO STYLE" REPEATED > * NO EXPLANATION FROM CHEVRON > > INTRODUCTION > > Opia and Ikiyan are two Ijaw villages in Warri North Local Government > Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Opia is a remote riverine village about > 3 hours away by speedboat from Warri. Their main occupation is fishing > and lumbering. > > Sedeco Forex, a drilling company with Chevron, the American oil giant, > has a rig in the area called serial 4 rig among other rigs. > > DEADLY NEIGHBOURS > > On the 4th of January this year, members of Opia community sent some of > their women to Serial 4 rig to request that Chevron provides some > facilities in the community in the spirit of the new year having > harboured them in their land, and so far have been good neighbours. > Chevron sent the women away and requested that the men and youths of > the community should come. They did. > > THE SACKING OF OPIA > > Chevron staff on the rig then sent a radio message to Escravos and > while they were still on board the Serial 4 rig, soldiers came in > Chevron helicopters at about 2 p.m. and razed down the village. Two > hours later, more soldiers came on speedboats and opened fire on the > people. Many jumped into the sea to avoid the hellish hail. Many > others ran into the forest since the whole village was on fire. > > MURDERS AT IKIYAN > > After the operation in Opia, the soldiers moved to Ikiyan the next > village and killed a youth, Bright Paplogba, who came out to inquire > about what was happening. They also killed a traditional ruler, Chief > Agbagbaidi Ikiyan. He was shot several times at point blank range. > When the shootings had no apparent effect on him, the Chevron commandos > went closer and shot several bullets into his heart and shoulder blades. > The old man slumped and died. Having done this, they set to burning down > the village. > > According to some Ijaw youths, the corpses found have been buried. Some > persons are still yet to be accounted for. The villages have been > deserted and most people are now taking refuge in nearby villages. > > Nobody knows where the directives to shoot and raze down the two > villages came from but one thing is certain: the soldiers came with > Chevron helicopters and Chevron boats. > > MARKING AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH MURDERS? > > There are reports that on the 4th of July 1998, Chevron had launched a > similar attack on these same communities and in the process some > villagers were killed, including an elderly woman, Madam Wonama Bigha. > As usual, Chevron got away with it. The incidents in this report > occurred 5 months later. > > On May 28, 1998, Chevron hired soldiers to raid local youths on their > Parabe Platform at Ilaje, Ondo State. Two youths, Mr. Arolika Irowainu > and Mr. Jola Ogungbeje were confirmed killed in that incident. > > In the unreported raid of 4th of July 1998 an unrepentant Chevron, > while denying involvement at Ilaje, mowed down innocent villagers at > Opia/Ikiyan. While Americans at home were celebrating National > Independence on July 4, Chevron was brutally ensuring the denial of > liberties and right to life of Nigerians. > > ERA DEMANDS > > * Chevron must be called to order, now. > * Chevron must desist from murdering innocent Nigerians. > * Chevron should learn basic good neighbourliness. > * Chevron should be held accountable and should be made to reconstruct > the razed villages complete with basic facilities. > * Chevron should publicly apologise to the people of Opia/Ikiyan, the > Ijaw nation and the entire Nigerian people. They should sign an > undertaking not to repeat these attacks on Opia/Ikiyan or any other set > of people in Nigeria. > * The Nigerian Army should desist from being tools in the hands of > multi-national oil companies and remember that their job is to defend > the Nigerian nation and not to destroy her people. > *An end to hostilities against oil communities, and total withdrawal of > troops from the Niger Delta. > > WHAT YOU CAN DO: > > *Send letters of protest to Chevron in Nigeria and to any of their > offices nearest to you. Demand that they respect the individual as well > as the collective rights of the Nigerian people. Write: Chevron Nigeria > Limited, 2, Chevron Drive, Lekki Peninsular P.M.B. 12825, Lagos, Nigeria > Phone: 01- 260-0600 Fax: 01-260-0395 > > > ********************** > > Kenneth T. Derr, Chairman and CEO Chevron Corporation 575 Market St. > San Francisco, CA 94105-2856 Tel.: 415-894-7700 Fax: 415-894-0593 > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > For more information/reports and photographs of victims contact: > > ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS ACTION/ FRIENDS OF THE EARTH (FoE, Nigeria) > > #214, Uselu-Lagos Road, P. O. Box 10577, Benin City, Nigeria Tel/Fax: + > 234 52 600165 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Port Harcourt: > # 13 Agudama Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt Tel: + 234 84 236365 Email: > Oilwatch. [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Lagos: > # 1 Balogun Street, Ikeja Tel. + 234 1 493 2606 Email: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Owerri: E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > London: Tel/Fax: + 44 181 7800574 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > "All people shall have the right to (a) safe and generally satisfactory > environment favourable to their development". (Article 24, African > Charter of Human and People's Rights)
ERA FIELD REPORT NUMBER 20 CHEVRON'S NEW YEAR GIFT: THE OPIA AND IKIYAN MASSACRE DESPATCH LINE: OPIA & IKIYAN DATE: JANUARY 8, 1999 FROM: VICTORIA ALUYOR * TWO VILLAGES RAZED DOWN AND INHABITANTS SACKED * TRADITIONAL RULER, OTHERS MURDERED * CHEVRON'S "ILAJE COMMANDO STYLE" REPEATED * NO EXPLANATION FROM CHEVRON INTRODUCTION Opia and Ikiyan are two Ijaw villages in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Opia is a remote riverine village about 3 hours away by speedboat from Warri. Their main occupation is fishing and lumbering. Sedeco Forex, a drilling company with Chevron, the American oil giant, has a rig in the area called serial 4 rig among other rigs. DEADLY NEIGHBOURS On the 4th of January this year, members of Opia community sent some of their women to Serial 4 rig to request that Chevron provides some facilities in the community in the spirit of the new year having harboured them in their land, and so far have been good neighbours. Chevron sent the women away and requested that the men and youths of the community should come. They did. THE SACKING OF OPIA Chevron staff on the rig then sent a radio message to Escravos and while they were still on board the Serial 4 rig, soldiers came in Chevron helicopters at about 2 p.m. and razed down the village. Two hours later, more soldiers came on speedboats and opened fire on the people. Many jumped into the sea to avoid the hellish hail. Many others ran into the forest since the whole village was on fire. MURDERS AT IKIYAN After the operation in Opia, the soldiers moved to Ikiyan the next village and killed a youth, Bright Paplogba, who came out to inquire about what was happening. They also killed a traditional ruler, Chief Agbagbaidi Ikiyan. He was shot several times at point blank range. When the shootings had no apparent effect on him, the Chevron commandos went closer and shot several bullets into his heart and shoulder blades. The old man slumped and died. Having done this, they set to burning down the village. According to some Ijaw youths, the corpses found have been buried. Some persons are still yet to be accounted for. The villages have been deserted and most people are now taking refuge in nearby villages. Nobody knows where the directives to shoot and raze down the two villages came from but one thing is certain: the soldiers came with Chevron helicopters and Chevron boats. MARKING AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH MURDERS? There are reports that on the 4th of July 1998, Chevron had launched a similar attack on these same communities and in the process some villagers were killed, including an elderly woman, Madam Wonama Bigha. As usual, Chevron got away with it. The incidents in this report occurred 5 months later. On May 28, 1998, Chevron hired soldiers to raid local youths on their Parabe Platform at Ilaje, Ondo State. Two youths, Mr. Arolika Irowainu and Mr. Jola Ogungbeje were confirmed killed in that incident. In the unreported raid of 4th of July 1998 an unrepentant Chevron, while denying involvement at Ilaje, mowed down innocent villagers at Opia/Ikiyan. While Americans at home were celebrating National Independence on July 4, Chevron was brutally ensuring the denial of liberties and right to life of Nigerians. ERA DEMANDS * Chevron must be called to order, now. * Chevron must desist from murdering innocent Nigerians. * Chevron should learn basic good neighbourliness. * Chevron should be held accountable and should be made to reconstruct the razed villages complete with basic facilities. * Chevron should publicly apologise to the people of Opia/Ikiyan, the Ijaw nation and the entire Nigerian people. They should sign an undertaking not to repeat these attacks on Opia/Ikiyan or any other set of people in Nigeria. * The Nigerian Army should desist from being tools in the hands of multi-national oil companies and remember that their job is to defend the Nigerian nation and not to destroy her people. *An end to hostilities against oil communities, and total withdrawal of troops from the Niger Delta. WHAT YOU CAN DO: *Send letters of protest to Chevron in Nigeria and to any of their offices nearest to you. Demand that they respect the individual as well as the collective rights of the Nigerian people. Write: Chevron Nigeria Limited, 2, Chevron Drive, Lekki Peninsular P.M.B. 12825, Lagos, Nigeria Phone: 01- 260-0600 Fax: 01-260-0395 ********************** Kenneth T. Derr, Chairman and CEO Chevron Corporation 575 Market St. San Francisco, CA 94105-2856 Tel.: 415-894-7700 Fax: 415-894-0593 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For more information/reports and photographs of victims contact: ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS ACTION/ FRIENDS OF THE EARTH (FoE, Nigeria) #214, Uselu-Lagos Road, P. O. Box 10577, Benin City, Nigeria Tel/Fax: + 234 52 600165 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Port Harcourt: # 13 Agudama Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt Tel: + 234 84 236365 Email: Oilwatch. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lagos: # 1 Balogun Street, Ikeja Tel. + 234 1 493 2606 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Owerri: E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] London: Tel/Fax: + 44 181 7800574 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "All people shall have the right to (a) safe and generally satisfactory environment favourable to their development". (Article 24, African Charter of Human and People's Rights) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
