Nigerian Businessman Laments As NAF Destroys Factory Mistaken For Illegal Refinery In Rivers
Barine Friday, a Rivers State businessman, has alleged that operatives of the Nigerian Air Force destroyed his factory after wrongly identifying it as an illegal crude oil refinery.
Friday, a resident of Aloma Umuegbele 3, Etche Local Government Area, told DAILY POST that Air Force personnel stormed his business premises on Tuesday morning and destroyed materials used for production.
According to Friday, his business involves the production of dry gin, locally known as kai-kai, which he has operated for about 16 years.
He disassociated his activities from any form of illegal crude oil refining.
Friday explained that Air Force personnel frequently patrol the area and expressed surprise that they suddenly targeted his business.
“My workers called me that Air Force personnel came yesterday. So, they were patrolling round.
“Already, regularly they normally patrol round all those places. Sometimes twice in a day or like two, three times a day you’ll be seeing them.
“At times they use drones to pass. Nothing happens. And this business, I’ve been doing this business for over 16 years, because since my father died and left the business for me, I’ve been managing the business.
“They came down, targeted at the drum, because we normally cook tombo inside that drum and refine to kai kai.
“That’s the business I’m doing there. Nothing connects bunkering to that area. We’re almost 29 shades along that side that we’re doing the same business.
“That was the place my father used and trained me and brought me to any level I’m in today. It was that shade. It is only my own that they destroyed,” the businessman said.
Friday further narrated that only one of his staff members was present at the time of the incident.
According to him, the Air Force operatives reportedly fired gunshots before leaving without asking any questions.
“When they came in, it was only one person that was in the shade when they came in. Because my workers were inside bush tapping palm wine.
“Because they will tap from the tree and bring it down to the shade and put it inside the drum before we cook it.
“It was around 9/10 in the morning. And when they came they didn’t ask anything. They only came down, first round the shade.
“So, when they came down, they first targeted at the drum and shot it. When they shot it, they drove off.”
Friday said they did not bomb his business premises but fired shots.
He added that his worker who was on ground ran away for safety, after the first shot was fired.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, says it has initiated necessary actions in line with its Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan to verify the reported incident.
In a brief statement on Wednesday, the Director of Public Relations and Information of NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said that findings from the ongoing verification process will be made public upon completion.
Ejodame reaffirmed the Nigerian Air Force’s commitment to protecting the lives and property of citizens while delivering effective airpower against criminal elements.