Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has released 22 ExxonMobil staff arrested for violating the State Executive Order restricting movement into the state.
The state Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Professor Zaccheus Adangor, told Igbere TV that they were released unconditionally on Sunday.
He said the state government will no longer be pressing charges against the oil workers, as earlier announced by Governor Wike.
A statement from Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant to the Governor on Electronic Media, quoted the Attorney-General as saying, “They were released following interventions by well-meaning Nigerians.”
Adangor was said to have personally monitored release of the oil workers at the State Isolation Centre at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, in Port-Harcourt.
Igbere TV recalls that a security team led by now redeployed Rivers Commission of Police, Mastapha Dandaura had April 16 arrested the 22 ExxonMobil staff on illegal entry.
The release of the oil workers comes barely 24 hours after the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) directed its members to stop operations at all export facilities.
The association in a release on Sunday (today) had equally suspend production and maintenance services from midnight today.
PENGASSAN also directed its members to withdraw all forms of services relating to crude oil production, refining, distribution and supplies from 12 noon tomorrow.
The directives were contained in a letter made available to Igbere TV by the National President of the association, Comrade Nduaka Ohaeri.
Ohaeri said their action is sequel to the refusal of the Rivers state Police Command to release the twenty-two ExxonMobil staff arrested last week.
