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A dispute over oil spill sites has resulted in four fatalities in Bodo town, Rivers State.

Efforts made last week to reconcile the opposing groups in Bodo town, Gokana Local Council Area of Rivers State, which has been affected by an oil spill, appear to have been unsuccessful. Reports indicate that violence and killings have resumed in the early hours of Monday, September 4, 2023.
In the past ten days, approximately four individuals have been feared dead in three separate incidents. Despite over five hours of reconciliation meetings between the factions in Bodo, Gokana local council area, held at the police headquarters in Port Harcourt, one person was reportedly killed in the latest attack on Monday morning.
However, the state’s police commissioner stated that he had not received such confirmation.

At the onset of the violence about ten days ago, two persons were reportedly killed and others injured when gangs suspected to be cultists attacked youths, keeping vigil at the latest spill site.
According to sources at the site, a fresh attack occurred the following Monday, where one person was equally feared dead.

The conflict in Bodo town, Gokana Local Council Area of Rivers State, which resulted from an oil spill, led to intervention by the Rivers State police command under the leadership of Abonyi Polycarp Emeka. The police initiated a series of meetings involving both opposing factions in the community.

Bodo had previously received a substantial payout from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) through an out-of-court settlement and a cleanup agreement. However, the community had split into two factions, with one group driving away their paramount ruler due to accusations of bias and collaboration with external parties. A regent was installed to oversee Bodo affairs, causing tensions and violence as the community lacked a trusted representative for dealings with the international oil company (IOC) and the government.

The police command intervened, and an agreement was reached to allow the paramount ruler to return and unite the community. Some sources dispute the existence of a truce.

On Monday, reports emerged of renewed violence in Bodo, resulting in one fatality. The police commissioner stated that he had not received confirmation of any deaths but had dispatched officers to restore peace after the reconciliation meeting.

Local sources suggest that many are still opposed to the paramount ruler’s return, while others believe the regent and his faction will resist any attempt to reinstate the monarch. The police commissioner emphasized that the monarch’s return was not a precondition for peace.

The situation in Bodo remains complex, with accusations and tensions persisting, making a peaceful resolution uncertain and raising concerns about continued violence driven by armed factions.

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