Ijaw, Ogoni Youths disown NASS pipeline hearing, demand contract decentralization

Youths from the Ijaw and Ogoni ethnic groups in Nigeria disowned claims by the National Assembly regarding their involvement in a roundtable on crude oil theft and pipeline surveillance. They staged a peaceful protest in Gokana to express their exclusion, arguing that it undermines regional security. Ijaw Youth Council President Dr. Alaye Tari Theophilus called for the decentralization of pipeline surveillance contracts, emphasizing that host communities are best positioned to prevent vandalism.