Security agencies arrest, quarantine 22 Exxon workers in Rivers State

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike on Friday, April 17, 2020 announced that security agents have arrested 22 workers of ExxonMobil.

The oil workers, according to Wike, were arrested for entering Rivers State from Akwa Ibom in violation of the State Executive Order restricting movement to contain spread of COVID-19.

The governor, while briefing journalists in Port Harcourt, the state capital, added that the ExxonMobil issue will be a test case in legal jurisprudence in the country.

“Security agencies arrested 22 staff of Exxon Mobil who came into the state from neighbouring Akwa Ibom State in violation of the extant Executive Order restricting movement into the state. We do not know the coronavirus status of these individuals.

“Even though security agencies advised that they be allowed to go back to Akwa Ibom State, I insisted that the law must take its course. This is because nobody is above the law. As a responsive government, we have quarantined them in line with the relevant health protocols and they will be charged to court,” he said.

The Rivers State Governor noted that health protection of the people of Rivers State is his priority especially at this period of a pandemic.

He also vowed to prosecute the ExxonMobil workers.“The right thing must be done. We are talking about something that is killing people. They want coronavirus to escalate in Rivers State. The law must be tested. Make sacrifice and let us contain the virus.”

Governor Wike also announced that the second case of the virus in Rivers State has been discharged.

Meanwhile, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has reacted to the arrest of some of its members by Rivers State Government stressing they have broken no law.

The group in a statement by its Exxon Mobil branch on Friday called on all stakeholders to prevail on the Rivers State Government to immediately release the detained workers.

The statement, which was signed by both PENGASSAN Chairman and Secretary, Razaq Obe, and Kingsley Udoidua, noted that their workers are part of the essential workers exempted by the Federal Government from COVID-19 restriction, hence their arrest is illegal.

“Recall the Federal Government of Nigeria exempted oil and gas workers on essential service from COVID-19 restrictions in Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Lagos State and Ogun State.

“The same was mirrored in various communications from Rivers State government which have permitted unfettered movements of other IOCs’ essential service personnel and critical materials.

“We condemn the continued detention of the 21 members of our Union who stake everything to produce the oil the country depends on for survival. We call on all stakeholders to prevail on the government of Rivers State to end this most unpleasant drama. Our members have broken no law,” the statement read in part.

Narrating the incident leading to the arrest of the oil workers, the group in the statement claimed that the workers were forcefully detained and assaulted.

“At about 3:30pm on Thursday April 16, 2020, Rivers State Commissioner of Police with his team and a top Army commander intercepted the convoy (protected by the police) conveying 21 ExxonMobil personnel who are PENGASSAN members on their way to Intels, Port Harcourt, at Bori (Akwa Ibom/Rivers boundary).

“The commissioner rebuffed all explanations and forced them to move to Elekaya Stadium, Port Harcourt, where they have been detained, verbally assaulted and starved.

“The original pretext for sending them to the stadium was to test for COVID-19 but there was no such possibility at the location; it is a construction site. They rather served them papers to write statements,” the group added.

PENGASSAN in the statement also condemned Rivers State authorities for turning the global effort to tame COVID-19 to a tool of muscle-flexing and oppression of oilfield workers.

Agency report