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• 20 killed in communal clash 
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Chevron in oil spillage

From RAWLINGS OFEJIRO;Asaba

FRESH crisis appears imminent between American oil giant, Chevron Nigeria Limited in Warri area of Delta State and some of its host communities over two oil spillages. The spills which occurred at the Utonana Field Operation Jacket 8D and Abiteye Flow Stations of CNL in August, led to women and youths taking over the company's platform there shortly after. And now, troops of the Joint Task Force (JTF) have been drafted to the area purportedly at the instance of CNL and the communities have vowed that no amount of guns and ammunition would stop them from holding the company responsible for what they believe they caused directly or indirectly. Leaders of the affected communities have therefore reached out to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, calling for his immediate intervention before matters get to a head.

They pointed out that the troops' deployment was a ploy by Chevron to shirk carrying out mandatory inspections and assessments preparatory to a mop-up and payment of compensation. In the SOS letter dated September 2 and signed by Christopher Ari and Comrade Sheriff Mulade, Chairman and General Secretary of Kokodiagbene to the governor, the communities accused the company of instigating troops from the JTF against them. They wrote: "We wish to ask you (Uduaghan) to save us from total annihilation planned by Chevron.

On the 17th August, 2008, the communities around the Utonana flow station noticed the heavy flow of crude oil on the surface water and surrounding area of their communities." Attempts to get CNL's side of the story were not successful yesterday as none of the officials reached was willing to comment on the claims of the communities. Feelers are, however, that Chevron's management deemed that the spill resulted from third party interference, implying that the spill occurred from sabotage, and that persons from the communities are suspects.