Fresh violence erupted in Biseni Kingdom, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, following the arrest of four youths accused of vandalism and other crimes. The protest, led mainly by women, escalated into clashes with security personnel, resulting in the vandalisation of a gas pipeline, the burning of a community leader's house, and several injuries.
Women Lead Protest, Clash with Security
Videos obtained by Premium Times on Sunday showed elderly women blocking the only access road into the oil-producing community, singing solidarity songs. Armed security personnel moved in to clear the blockade. In one video, a uniformed military officer appeared to strike a woman with a stick. Another footage showed trucks, escorted by armed personnel, driving through the crowd after protesters' chairs used to barricade the road were removed or destroyed.
Community sources said at least four people sustained injuries, with one victim initially taken to a cottage hospital before being referred elsewhere for specialist care. Another video showed flames rising from a vandalised gas pipeline after the protest turned violent. Premium Times could not independently verify the extent of damage to the facility.
Dispute Over Host Community Development Trust Projects
The violence marks an escalation of a dispute over the management of projects executed under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA)-mandated Host Community Development Trust (HCDT). The crisis began when the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Renaissance Cluster HCDT in Biseni, Ebibulo Amaoru, along with some community leaders, petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, accusing some youths of vandalism, arson, cultism, and attempted murder. Police arrested four youths; three were remanded at Okaka Correctional Centre, while another was detained in Rivers State.
Residents told Premium Times that the arrested youths had merely demanded accountability over HCDT projects, particularly road construction quality. They alleged that several projects were substandard and that complaints to community leaders yielded no results. Many residents also alleged that traditional leaders had failed to demand transparency and had sided with the BOT chairman against youths seeking accountability. Premium Times could not independently verify these allegations.
Community Chief Defends Youths, Condemns Military Action
A community chief, Justus Bekesu, who previously served as village head, disputed allegations that the youths were violent. He said the youths, under the Biseni Development Group, had questioned contractors over poorly executed projects funded by the HCDT. According to him, the group temporarily blocked the road weeks earlier but removed the barricade after community leaders promised to address concerns. The youths later honoured a police invitation only to be detained, arraigned, and remanded.
“The women were shocked. They said these boys were fighting for the benefit of everybody. If the road is repaired, everybody coming into or leaving Biseni will benefit,” Bekesu said. He alleged that military personnel assaulted women protesting the arrests. “They beat women with rifles and sticks. Some women were pushed to the ground. Oando trucks were escorted through the protesters. Many women were injured and hospitalised.” Bekesu said the subsequent vandalisation of a gas pipeline and burning of the BOT chairman's house occurred after news of the assault on mothers spread among youths. Premium Times could not independently establish who carried out the attacks.
IYC Secretary Alleges Intimidation
The Secretary of the Ijaw Youth Council in Biseni Kingdom, Aye Preye, echoed the allegations, accusing the BOT chairman of intimidating youths who questioned transparency and substandard project implementation. He said the community, despite hosting numerous oil facilities, has suffered from poor infrastructure for years. “We have a very bad road, and we have not had electricity for over 12 years,” he said. He alleged that women who protested since Saturday and stayed through Sunday, when the alleged assault took place, only demanded the release of the arrested youths before reopening the road. “Some of our mothers are in critical condition. Some have been diagnosed with internal bleeding,” he alleged.
BOT Chairman Rejects Allegations
Mr Amaoru rejected allegations that the arrests were retaliation. He said the group had no recognised status within the community's governance structure and had repeatedly disrupted projects approved under the HCDT. According to him, community chiefs had warned the group to stop interfering with contractors, but they allegedly continued to vandalise project sites, threaten community leaders, and attack his residence. “They went to different project sites to stop contractors from working. They threatened chiefs, including myself. They almost kidnapped me in Port Harcourt if not that I move with security,” he said. He maintained that contractors and Renaissance engineers, not the protesting youths, were responsible for assessing project quality. When asked if he had shared the HCDT community development plan with the community, he said, “The documents are made available to the Kingdom’s ruling council and the advisory committee, not them. These are the bodies that are supposed to know the contents of any contract.” However, the Nigerian Upstream Host Community Development Regulations 2022 mandate that the settlor and leadership of trusts consult all groups of people on projects. Premium Times recently reported that HCDTs in neighbouring Rivers State were struggling with transparency and inclusion. Mr Amaoru denied mobilising military personnel against the protesters, stating, “I don’t have the power to mobilise soldiers. The companies did that because they needed access to their facilities.” He said his house had been burned while oil facilities and access routes had also been vandalised.
Police Defend Arrests, Military Denies Assault
The spokesperson for Zone 16 Police Command, Gunn Ewhoborwo, said the arrests followed a petition from community elders and chiefs alleging attempted murder, malicious damage, extortion, kidnapping, cultism, and repeated attacks by the suspects. He said police investigators initially encountered hostility while attempting to serve invitations. The suspects were remanded by a court for 10 days pending investigation. Ewhoborwo rejected claims that the arrests stemmed from complaints over poor-quality projects, stating there were lawful channels for addressing grievances.
The spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, 16 Brigade, Solomon Hallet, denied allegations that soldiers attacked peaceful protesters. “Our men were deployed there. The people were protesting peacefully, and nobody touched them,” he told Premium Times. He said violence erupted only after the situation escalated. “The people were stoning vehicles and our men. Our men were only trying to calm the situation.” When informed that videos appeared to show military personnel confronting and assaulting women after trucks breached the blockade, Hallet maintained that soldiers did not initiate the violence. “Our men are also humans. It is like beating someone and telling the person not to cry. Will someone keep beating you and tell you not to cry, and you stand there without any form of resistance?” He said the protest was rooted in disagreements between community members and companies over development issues.
Calls for Intervention
Before Sunday’s confrontation, women from Biseni Kingdom had staged another peaceful protest, demanding the immediate release of the detained youths, rehabilitation of the failed access road, and greater accountability in the execution of community development projects. They also asked the Bayelsa State Government, the federal government, Oando Energy Resources, and Renaissance Africa Energy Company to intervene urgently. As of Sunday night, tension remained high in the community, with residents expressing fears that the crisis could escalate if underlying grievances were not addressed.
