Nonsochukwu Uwa, Owerri
An exclusive investigation by Ikengaonline has revealed that owners of illegal oil bunkering sites in Abaezi community, Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, usually pay between N250,000 to N500,000 to landowners, just to allow them to use their property to operate illegal oil refinery sites.
A reliable source, a community leader in Abaezi who claimed to have been advocating against the illegal oil bunkering activities, spoke with Ikengaonline after an explosion occurred last Friday night in an illegal bunkering site in the community.
Ikengaonline reported that over 100 people were killed in the inferno and several vehicles burnt in the boundary community of Abaezi, close to Rivers State.
The source said the illegal oil activities have been booming and lucrative because of the strong collaboration between operators of illegal refinery sites and some persons in the community who were benefitting financially from the business.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal attack by the powerful cartel of illegal oil bunkerers who threaten to wipe out the families of anyone who speaks up against them, our source said: “There is nothing like a specific amount to pay before you use a land. It is about the highest bidder. Some people have become land agents searching for who is ready to take the money and offer his land.
“They don’t buy land; they simply ask you to lease it out to them between one and six months depending on your agreement with them. They pay N250,000 to N500,000. They don’t use it for a long time because they know it will not take long for the government to destroy it,” he said.
Ikengaonline findings showed that the owner of the illegal oil bunkering field where hundreds of lives perished and vehicles burnt, Okenze Onyewoke, hails from Abacheke community in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, a neighbouring community to Abaezi where the incident happened.
Ikengaonline gathered that the main front for the business was another leader whose name was given as Victor Uawe from the same Abaezi community, among many others controlling other illegal oil sites in the communities.
Despite the report of Onyewoke being declared wanted by the Imo State Government, his boys were allegedly still around the community manning other illegal oil bunkering sites. He was said to have been in this business for no less than seven years.
At the time of filing this report, it was alleged that the movement of illegal oil products from over 150 illegal oil bunkering sites continued last night (Saturday) as those in the business were said to be undeterred by what happened Friday night.
Another community leader who did not want his name mentioned for security reasons said most of the people who lost their lives in the inferno were from the neighbouring states of Bayelsa and Rivers.
“That is why you hardly see from this community people saying they lost their relatives. I am not saying that nobody from this community may have been affected but not many because outsiders do this business more than our people in this community,” he noted.
