Shell Petroleum Develop-ment Company (SPDC) said yesterday it had been forced to shut down another five oil flow stations, bringing to 10 the total oil flow stations shut and the loss of 126,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude output, following the escalation of the crisis in Warri, Delta State.

The crisis, which first began last week as a conflict between soldiers and Ijaw youth over control of waterways in Warri, has also led to the loss of 30,000 bpd of oil by US oil major ChevronTexaco, as companies began evacuating their employees.

In monetary terms, the NNPC/Shell joint venture lost $4.3 million (N546.1 million) daily to the two-weeks old crisis.

Rampaging youth suspected to be Ijaws defied the presence of heavily-armed troops deployed to several parts of Warri, to attack six towns inhabited by the Itsekiris.

The towns were Ogheye, Jakpa, Ajudaibo, Egbo Egungun, Ogidigben and Eghoro, all in the Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State. The Ijaw youths had earlier razed two Itsekiri Island communities on Monday.

Major oil producing companies in the area, namely Shell and ChevronTexaco, had stepped up evacuation of their workers from the crisis area, mainly the Escravos Base.

Officials disclosed that about 145 oil workers were airlifted from Escravos yesterday. However, many of those evacuated from the oil operational area were stranded at the Osubi Airstrip on the outskirt of Warri.

It would be recalled that in the aftermath of the escalation of the Warri disturbance, airlines operating in the Niger Delta area said on Tuesday they were suspending operations. This followed the spate of sporadic gunshots reportedly targeted at Shell fixed wings helicopters.

Shell, operator of the NNPC/Shell/Elf/Agip joint venture, said yesterday it was shutting down the flow stations as the staff were being evacuated from the facilities.

Ijaw leaders led by Chief Edwin Clark, yesterday called on the Federal Government and the Delta State Government to "be courageous in finding a lasting solution to the ethnic problem" in Warri, especially the issue of electoral ward delineation in the three local government councils in Warri.