Women Clash with Soldiers in Bayelsa Over Arrested Youths

Fresh violence broke out in Biseni Kingdom, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State after police arrested four youths for vandalism and other crimes.

The protesters, mostly women, clashed with security forces. This led to a gas pipeline being damaged and a community leader's house set on fire, with several people hurt.

Videos obtained by PREMIUM TIMES showed older women blocking the main road into the oil-producing community while singing songs of support. Armed security personnel later moved in to clear the roadblock.

In one video, a military officer was seen hitting a woman with a stick as security tried to remove the blockade. Another clip showed trucks with armed personnel driving through the crowd after the protesters' chairs, which they used to block the road, were taken away or destroyed.

PREMIUM TIMES also saw videos of elderly women getting treated at a hospital after the clash. Community sources reported that at least four people were injured. One of them was first taken to a local cottage hospital before being moved for further treatment.

Another video from Sunday evening showed flames coming from what residents said was a damaged gas pipeline after the protest turned violent. The newspaper could not confirm how severe the damage was.

This violence highlights a growing conflict over how projects are managed under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) that set up the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT).

Dispute Over Community Projects

The conflict started when Ebibulo Amaoru, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the HCDT in Biseni, and other community leaders petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu. They accused some local youths of vandalism, arson, cultism, attempted murder, and other crimes.

Following this, police arrested four youths. Three were sent to the Okaka Correctional Centre, while another was held in Rivers State, according to community leaders.

The arrests angered many residents, especially women. They blocked the only road into Biseni, stopping access to facilities run by Oando Energy Resources and Renaissance Africa Energy Company.

Residents told PREMIUM TIMES that the arrested youths were only asking for accountability over HCDT projects, especially concerning road construction quality and other infrastructure. They claimed that many projects completed under the trust were not up to standard and that their complaints to community leaders had not been addressed.

'They Were Fighting for Everybody'

Justus Bekesu, a community chief who once served as village head, disagreed with the claims that the youths were violent or involved in any of the actions leading to their arrest.

He explained that the youths, under the Biseni Development Group, had questioned contractors about what they called poorly done projects funded by the HCDT.

Bekesu said the group had blocked a bad road weeks before but removed the barricade after community leaders promised to listen to their concerns. He said the youths went to a police invitation only to end up detained and remanded. "The women were shocked," he said.

"They said these boys were fighting for the benefit of everybody. If the road is fixed, everyone coming in or out of Biseni will benefit." He also claimed that military personnel attacked women during the protests.

IYC Alleges Intimidation

Aye Preye, the Secretary of the Ijaw Youth Council in Biseni Kingdom, repeated the allegations. He accused the BOT chairman of intimidating youths who questioned the lack of transparency and poor project implementation under the HCDT.

He pointed out that despite hosting many oil facilities, the community has suffered from bad infrastructure for a long time. "We have a very bad road, and we have not had electricity for over 12 years," he said.

He said the protesting women stayed out from Saturday night until Sunday, demanding the release of the arrested youths before reopening the road. He claimed that soldiers arrived in several vehicles and attacked the protesters. "Some of our mothers are in critical condition. Some have been diagnosed with internal bleeding," he alleged.

BOT Chairman Rejects Allegations

Mr Amaoru denied that the arrests were revenge against critics. He said the protesting youths had no recognized role in the community's governance and had disrupted projects approved under the HCDT.

He claimed community chiefs had warned them to stop interfering with contractors, but they continued to vandalize project sites and threaten leaders. "They went to different project sites to stop contractors from working," he said.

When asked if he shared the HCDT community development plan with the people, he answered, "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. Those rightful persons are aware of it."

However, the Nigerian Upstream Host Community Development Regulations 2022 state that the settlor and trust leaders must consult all groups about projects. PREMIUM TIMES has reported that HCDTs in Rivers State are facing issues with transparency and inclusion.

Amaoru also denied having military personnel deployed against the protesters. "I don't have the power to mobilize soldiers. The companies did that because they needed access to their facilities," he said.

Police Defend Arrests

The spokesperson for Zone 16 Police Command, Gunn Ewhoborwo, said the arrests followed a petition from community elders accusing the suspects of attempted murder, malicious damage, extortion, kidnapping, cultism, and repeated attacks.

He said police faced hostility when they tried to invite group members. The suspects were remanded by a court to allow investigators to finish their work. "The court granted 10 days for their remand pending investigation," he said.

Ewhoborwo also rejected claims that the arrests were due to complaints about poor community projects. He said there are legal ways to address grievances rather than attacking people and damaging infrastructure.

Military Denies Attacking Protesters

The spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, 16 Brigade, Solomon Hallet, denied reports 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 only started after the situation escalated.

"The people were stoning vehicles and our men. Our men were only trying to calm the situation," he said. When told that videos showed military personnel confronting women after trucks broke through the blockade, Hallet insisted that soldiers did not start the violence.

Calls for Intervention

Before the clash on Sunday, women from Biseni Kingdom had held another peaceful protest. They demanded the immediate release of the detained youths, repairs to the bad road, and more accountability in community development projects.

They also called on the Bayelsa State Government, the federal government, Oando Energy Resources, and Renaissance Africa Energy Company to step in urgently to prevent the situation from getting worse.

As of Sunday night, tension remained high in the community. Residents feared the crisis could escalate if the underlying issues were not resolved.