Niger Delta Youths Fight Dirty In Abuja

By Peters Monday, Abuja

Niger Delta oil producing communities Youths have clashed in Abuja over a meeting that was supposed to hold in the region but was moved to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The meeting which was proposed to be held at the prestigious Sandralia Hotel in the Central District of Jabi, Abuja, turned violent on Tuesday.

The meeting which was meant to address some salient issues among the youths ended with bloody injuries as serious fight broke out in the venue which had made the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to call for the relocation of future discussions concerning oil producing communities to Warri.

The development, which left no fewer than three people seriously wounded, had sparked concerns about the handling of internal conflicts within oil-producing communities and the potential implications for the advocacy efforts of the Niger Delta.

Congress learnt that one of the critically injured youths was rushed to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention.
Calm returned to the premises only after a concerted intervention by security operatives from the Utako Police Division and the hotel management.

Victor Udoh, president-general of the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders, addressed the press to discuss the tumultuous events.
Udoh said, “This impromptu press address is necessary to shed light on the unfortunate events that unfolded over the last three hours.
“Our attention was drawn to the fracas within the aforementioned hotel, where members of the oil-producing community from Delta State were gathered to hold a meeting.
“During this meeting, there were significant disagreements; some groups were excluded from the invitation, leading to conflict and even bloody injuries.”

Udoh, who leads the platform advocating for the Niger Delta’s interests, expressed dismay over the exclusion of some groups from the meeting, which escalated into conflict.
Udoh asserted that the choice of Abuja for the meeting resulted in “unnecessary embarrassment” for the Niger Delta and stressed the importance of inclusivity.
“We urge the Delta State structure of the oil-producing community to hold all future meetings in Warri, a significant city in the Niger Delta,” he stated, adding that Warri, known as the Oil City, is a more fitting location for oil-related discussions.

However, the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders had called on federal agencies, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the National Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), to refrain from mobilizing community members to Abuja, citing “stress and uncertainties” involved in such travel.
Udoh also highlighted the need to involve the region’s youth in every engagement to ensure peace and tranquility.