Soldiers Disperse Protesting Chevron Workers In Delta State

Calm has returned to the Chevron Nigeria Limited operated Escravos Gas-To-Liquid (EGTL) project in Ugborodo, Warri South-West Local Government Area in Delta State, after soldiers allegedly fired tear gas at aggrieved Nigerian workers and chased them out of the camp.

The workers allege that they were forced out of the camp by soldiers who fired tear gas, beat-up and handcuffed workers.

Oil giant, Chevron, however, has a different story to tell.  The company claims that some of the community workers held other workers hostage in the camp.

“Chevron confirms that more than 1,000 junior contract workers locked down over the past five days in our EGTL camp have been freed. We are happy that this has been finally brought to a peaceful conclusion,” a statement issued by the General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs of Chevron, Mr Deji Hasstrup, read.

The company further explained that the workers had been held against their will by some protesting community workers employed by local community contractors and that the Joint Task Force successfully set the workers free on February 15, 2014.

Many of the workers are now either back in Warri, Delta State or en-route to Warri to re-unite with their families.

The workers, who are alleged to have locked down the company for five days, are at loggerheads with Chevron’s management over alleged non-payment of their pay-off after the successful conclusion of the project.