The residents at Tanbiri II, Biseni in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on Wednesday disrupted oil production at Adibawa oil field operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), shutting two oil wells.

It was gathered that two oil wells, Adibawa Well 4 and Adibawa Well 10 feeding the Adibawa flow station, were shut down by the protesters who demanded for power supply from the nearby oil facility.

Hundreds of residents comprising youths, women and elders blocked the access road to the shut oil wells, singing solidarity songs amidst rhythms from local musical instruments.

Mr Oyeso Atena, Youth President of Biseni community, said that they were aggrieved over the failure of SPDC to link the community to a power plant located at Adibawa flow station despite assurances.

“We took the step as a last resort following several talks. The oil firm had given us hope but they later backed out by telling us that the transmission line to our community is not strong enough and cannot carry the power.

“We have several oil wells here, and merely shutting two of them has put the entire Adibawa flow station out of action. And that shows that without the oil wells from here, the flow station cannot fire and we are just asking that they give us electricity from that facility.

“We are not asking for too much for a company that has operated here since 1972 and there is no history of hostage taking, no attack on oil workers, and no incident of vandalism of facilities.

“Our expectation is that they reciprocate our peaceful dispositions and not take our peaceful nature for weakness. We have vowed to remain here until they respond to us,” the youth leader said.

When contacted, the spokesman of the Joint Task Force deployed to protect oil facilities in the Niger Delta region said that he had no information on the incident, saying that would verify the claim and respond.

Also efforts to reach Mr Joseph Obari, an SPDC spokesman, was futile as he could not be reached on his mobile phone.

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