By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
On July 29, Okwori Onaji, an environmental activist in Owukpa, a Benue town, wanted to call the attention of the world to the damage being inflicted on their community by the coal mining activities of Dangote Cement company.
Coal is a major energy source for the multi-billion naira Dangote Cement factory located in Obajana, Kogi State.
The cement factory leverages Nigeria’s large coal deposit estimated at about two billion metric tonnes as source of fuel for its cement plant.
Onaji was displeased by the situation at the mining site in Ibagba/Owukpa, which has become a massive ditch so that when it rains, it transforms to a massive river that carries all the chemical contaminant to their wells, streams and even borehole water. He was also displeased that the soil of the community has been degraded and not fit for agricultural use. He, therefore, decided to invite some television network to the site to tell the story, including Channels TV and TVC News.
Bearing a big leather bag with some placards in them, he hit the road on a bike to catch up with the journalists at their rendezvous. The journalists were coming from Makurdi, the state capital.
While his was a humanitarian mission, the community vigilante had a sinister agenda to stop the protest by getting him arrested on the orders, allegedly of the community leader, the Onomo of Owukpa, Chief Emmanuel Ode, the local government chairman, Samuel Onu, and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Orokamu Police Station. He alleged that the men are in the payroll of the cement company.
Onaji explained what happened in a telephone interview with TheNiche.
“We had written to the commissioner of police for approval to protest, but because of his interest in the mining activities, he refused to grant us approval. So, we decided to just take media, with our placards so that the media will carry it.
‘The journalists were coming from Makurdi. I was riding on a bike when the vigilante intercepted me close to Ukwo. I had a leather bag where I had the placards. They took me to their office and said I should name my co-protesters. I told them I was doing it alone.
“Later, they said the DPO of Orokanmu called them and informed them that I and four other people robbed one man. They then brought some bullets and said they found them in my leather bag. I said how can you plant bullets in my bag and tell me they belong to me? They started hitting me with sticks, telling me to name those that went to rob with me, and to tell them where I kept the gun.
“Later, the Police came and rook me to their station. The DPO never allowed me access to my phone. When my people came to him, he told them they should go and beg the Onomo of Owukpa. When my people went to the chief’s palace, he then quickly arranged for a car that took me to the State CID in Makurdi. I was given bail on Monday, August 3. I spent six days in detention,” he said.