Why we arrested the Leader of Benin Solidarity Movement, Curtis Ugbo – Police

The Edo State Police Command has given an insight to why the leader of the Benin Solidarity Movement, BSM, Mr Curtis Ugbo was arrested.

 

Speaking with our Correspondent today, the Police Public Relation Officer, DSP Moses Nkombe cautioned that there were more civilize way for the group to drive home their grievances other than issue threat detrimental to the security of the state.


He described the comment made by Ugbo on deploying their militant wing to stop operations of the Oil Companies as callous and said very soon he will be charged to court for inciting the public against the government and the people .

According to him, “Yes he is under our custody; he has been charged for inciting the public against the government and the people of the state.

“They used the logo of the Oba of Benin without authorization and they said they would use their militant group to disrupt activities of the oil companies.

He said, “You don’t come around in a civil society to say you have a militant group, there are better way to pursue our course. Every organization should have a legal adviser.

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“That was the statement they made and we are very uncomfortable about it and we are investigating the militant group they talked about and the need for force when you have the law enforcement agency to do that.

“When the investigation is completed, he will be charged to court”. The PRO further added.



It would be recalled that Mr Ugbo had threatened to make oil producing communities housing the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company Limited( NPDC) unsafe for operation should the company fails to employ a minimum of one thousand youths within two weeks [see here]

Ugbo who led his other group member to shut down company at Sapele Road in Benin City on Tuesday Morning said there are over sixty two flowing oil wells in host communities in the State including Ologbo where NPDC, Pan Ocean control over nineteen to thirty oil wells respectively without corresponding social responsibilities to the communities since they commenced operations in 1988

He then demanded a comprehensive lists of the number of Edo youths, both skill and unskilled so far employed by the oil exploring companies in the State

"We want to categorically make clear to the Federal and State Governments including the oil producing companies in Benin Kingdom, that where our demands are not looked into adequately, we shall assume legal court process while we deploy our Militant Wing to resist and stop the taking of our crude oil of the host oil producing communities in Benin Kingdom"

"We cannot be victim in our land. We demand that the Ijaws and Itsekiri should stay clear. Our youths must be employed by NPDC they have been operating here since 1988. We have over 200 oil wells flowing and the Binis are suffering" "We own the oil, let them show us their list of cooperate responsibility in terms of bursary, employment, sports development scholarship, socio infrastructures, health care service. If they are not ready let them take this company out of Benin". He added.