“It’s absurd that we pay over N12 billion in taxes to government annually and still are left to fend and seek security by ourselves” Okomu Oil Palm Plc MD threatens to shut down Edo plant after staff were murdered

The management of Okomu Oil Palm Plc says it might shut its operations in Edo after bandits invaded the multi-billion naira plantation.

The Managing Director of the company, Graham Hefer, disclosed that the company suffered two attacks in one week.

The latest attack was on Monday morning, May 6, when three of the company’s workers were murdered and four were injured inside the plantation in Okomu-Udo, Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Hefer said; “The female worker, who was held hostage but managed to escape unhurt said the six armed gunmen came in through the Okomu Riverside and also escaped through the same route in their motorboat.

“This is one of the two incidences within a space of one week. Last week, armed gunmen ambushed the company’s patrol vehicle which they riddled with bullets.”

He added: “Government has to come and take absolute control of the area overtaken by squatters who now terrorise the locality as the owner of the land.

“The government that is supposed to be their custodian and protect the tenants like us absolutely has no control whatsoever. We are left to our faith.

“There are police personnel or soldiers and no police post at all.

“Yet, the government needs to provide security around the plantation and the people around the communities as law-abiding citizens.

“We have repeatedly said the government should put a military base in the plantation.

“It’s absurd that we pay over N12 billion in taxes to government annually and still are left to fend and seek security for equipment and personnel by ourselves.

“We have to fund our own security and pay more charges in taxes without commensurate service delivery. What kind of investment-friendly environment are you providing?”