•Blood flows in the creeks
•Running battle between military, militants continue
•Avengers blow up SPDC’s Forcados 48" export line
•Things getting out of hand’ – Ijaw Youth Council
By Emma Amaize , Regional Editor, South-South, Egufe
Yafugborhi, Perez Brisibe and Akpokona Omafuaire
AFTER’ a six-day siege, soldiers moved out of Oporoza,
the traditional headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri
South-West Local Government Area, Delta State on Friday
without arresting ex-militant leader, Government
Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, who repeatedly denied link with
Niger Delta Avengers, NDA in the last few
weeks. Notwithstanding the withdrawal of the military 24
hours after militants, in a surprise attack, three days ago,
killed two soldiers, six civilians and sank a military
houseboat in Warri South local government area, Saturday
Vanguard learned that the running battle between the Joint
Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta and Niger Delta
Avengers, NDA, continues.
In fact, the Avengers blew up the Forcados Export Line
belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC,
at about 3.00 am, yesterday. Before leaving Oporoza
yesterday, the Army arrested 10-suspected members of
NDA, who the Commander, 4th Brigade, Nigeria Army,
Benin City, Brigadier General Farouk Yahaya, paraded last
Sunday, in Benin City, with arms and ammunition, including
pistol and magazines, explosive devices, ipads, laptops,
combat boot, dagger, cable wire, speedboat throttle cable,
among others recovered from them.
The militant group hotly denied that the military arrested any
of its members. Similarly, the spokesperson of Gbaramatu
Traditional Council, GTC, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, Ijaw
People Development Initiative, IPDI, National Association of
Gbaramatu Students, NAGS, and others maintained that the
apprehended persons were not militants and gave their
names.
They gave the names of the 10 persons whose release they
demanded as Ebis Emma Job (SS1 Student, Gbaraun
Grammar School, Oporoza), Philip Gagha (Palace cook),
Andrew (Palace driver) and Tebe-ebi (Palace tailor). Others
are Emotimifagha (Student of Gbaraun Grammar School,
Oporoza), John David (Student of Gbaraun Grammar School,
Oporoza), Solomon Teiwei (Student of Gbaraun Grammar
School, Oporoza), Oromoni Peter Miyebi (Community boy),
Godspower Abraham (Student of Gbaraun Grammar School,
Oporoza) and Bright (mechanic).
Saturday Vanguard could not verify the information before
the military took over Oporoza, last week, but a dependable
source hinted, weeks before the invasion that Tompolo had
since fled the kingdom. The man they regard as General
Officer Commanding, GOC, Movement for the Emancipation
of the Niger-Delta, MEND, in a press statement, 24 hours
after soldiers took over Oporoza, also maintained that he
had left Gbaramatu Kingdom.
Military commanders, who acted on a tip-off that he was
hibernating in Oporoza with members of the Niger Delta
Avengers did not believe the story and stormed Kurutie, his
father’s home town in search of him and others. They found
neither him nor his father, who had also escaped from the
community. Chief Gbenekama confirmed to Saturday
Vanguard that soldiers were, indeed, demobilizing from
Oporoza when contacted about 11.00 am. Public Relations
Officer of Oporoza Youths, Paul Kirifade, told our reporter:
“They are leaving as I am talking to you now.”
Gbenekama said: “I thank God that the military have seen
with their eyes what we have been telling them since, that
the people of Gbaramatu kingdom are not Niger Delta
Avengers, we do not know them and we do not wish to
know them.” “They came here looking for Tompolo, I said it
before that Tompolo is our son, but since the EFCC declared
him wanted, we have not seen him. He had left Gbaramatu
kingdom, but whistle blowers told them he was here, they
have searched for him and I think it is now clear to them
that he is not here.
“I can also tell you that they did not find any member of
Niger Delta Avengers here, but I am not saying that there
are no criminals in Gbaramatu kingdom. Those they
arrested are not militants and talking about the arms and
ammunition they recovered, I tell you that I do not know
about that,” he added. The Ijaw leader said” “I must thank
the media; they are the ones that cried out for us, you can
see the molestation, looting and inconvenience that they
caused thousands of residents of Oporoza, Kurutie,
Okerenkoko, Kokodiagbene and other Ijaw communities they
raided.”
“We are not saying they should not do their work, but they
should work with good intelligence and isolate the criminals
they are looking for, instead of subjecting the whole of
Gbaramatu people to untold hardship and even branding all
of us as militants, “he asserted. Another youth leader, Frank
Ekpemupolo, said, “We just noticed that they suddenly left
the community after laying siege to us for a week.”
“We cannot tell if they have left finally or if they are
returning back to the community, but we are hoping social
and economic activities can return to normal while residents
of the community embark on their daily affairs,” he
said. Before yesterday’s call-off of the Cordon and Search
Operation in Oporoza, the military had deployed four
warships, jet fighters, surveillance aircraft and nearly 100
gunboats in the Niger Delta region, especially Delta and
Bayelsa states, 48 hours after it took over Oporoza.
The Chief of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Buratai had
prior to the operation, last week, raised the alarm that
militants were killing soldiers in the creeks and vowed to
crush them. He did not give details of the casualties, but
what was known at the time he spoke was that three
soldiers of the Joint Task Force perished in two separate
boat tragedies in the two states.
Fact vs fiction
Responding to Buratai’s finger pointing on Tuesday, Niger
Delta Avengers, NDA, opened what looked like secreted
information. It squealed: “The Chief of Army Staff, Lt
General Buratai in his statement said NDA killed Nigerian
soldiers, it is not true. Chief of Army Staff, we are not the
ones killing your soldiers. The Chief of Army Staff deployed
personnel to the creeks without amphibious training that led
to the death of about 50 soldiers. If not for the help of local
fishermen, the death would have been up to 100.”
A source told Saturday Vanguard: “It is not possible for the
Nigerian Army to lose up to 50 soldiers in one day and keep
quiet about it. Do the soldiers not have families? It is
obvious that a number of soldiers lost their lives to
suspected militants in separate attacks lately.” A military
officer hinted that the military did not just take over
Oporoza, saying, “We had a lead before they moved in to
Oporoza and stayed put from last Saturday after two
previous visits, last month.”
Baptism of fire in Bayelsa
All the while, soldiers had not clashed face-to-face with the
militants blowing up pipelines in Delta state, but they
arrested 10 persons suspected to be members of the Niger
Delta Avengers at Oporoza, last Saturday and took them to
Benin City. It was on Sunday, May 29, at Gulobokriand
Eweleso communities around Brass area of Bayelsa state
that soldiers of the 343 Artillery Regiment of 2 Brigade, 82
Division of the Nigeria Army engaged militants in a gun duel
that led to the killing of some militants, which averted the
planned attack on an oil pipeline in the two communities.
Shaking off the stupor
The military siege to Gbaramatu, which has caused
humanitarian crisis with thousands rendered homeless,
appeared to have momentarily cut off the militants from the
their attacks in Delta state until June 1 when the
Avengers shook off the lethargy and ripped apart two
Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL oil wells at Dibi, Warri North
local government area.
Claiming responsibility for the attack, Niger Delta Avengers
on its twitter handle, @Niger Delta Avengers, boasted, “With the
heavy presence of 100 gunboats, 4 warships and jet
bombers, NDA blew up Chevron oil well RMP 23 and RMP
24 at 3. 44 am this morning (June 1).” “This is to show the
whole world that the Nigeria military is good in harassing
innocent Nigerians. RMP 24 and RMP 23 are Chevron
swamp highest producing wells,” it added.
Breaking the ice
Despite the recurrent swanks by Niger Delta Avengers, the
troops and the militants seemed to be minding their
business in the state until the bloody June 1 evening when
so-called militants attacked a military houseboat at Efe
Ugbokodo in Warri South local government area, killing two
soldiers and six other persons. Assistant Director, Public
Relations, 4 Brigade Nigeria Army Headquarters, Benin City,
Captain Jonah Unuakhalu, in a statement, June 2, said the
suspected militants, who disguised as commuters
approached the Houseboat in Five (5) speedboats mounted
with 250 horsepower engines.
“During the deliberate attack, 2 soldiers were killed, one
wounded, one soldier missing while 4 civilian staff attached
to the house boat were shot dead.” “The attack occurred
when other members of the troops were on pipeline patrol.
The Brigade out rightly condemn the attack on our
personnel carrying out their constitutional duties and other
innocent staff,” he asserted. Admonishing citizens to go
about their normal businesses, Unuakhalu said such
dastardly acts would not deter the Brigade; rather it would
remain resolute in discharging its constitutional duties.
He, however, stated that the military would apprehend and
bring to justice those who carried out the criminal
acts. Niger Delta Avengers, who blew up two crude oil
pipelines at about 2.00 am on the same day in Bayelsa
state, did not claim responsibility for the attack. On the
Bayelsa infraction, it tweeted: “At about 2:00am today
(yesterday) @ Niger Delta Avengers blew up the Ogboinbiri to
Tebidaba and Clough Creek to Tebidaba Crude Oil pipelines
in Bayelsa State.
“This is in line with our promise to all international Oil
companies and Indigenous Oil Companies that Nigeria Oil
production will be zero,” the militants added.
Suspicion
However, a security source said of the killings of soldiers in
Warri: “We suspect they are the ones that did it because
they warned in statements issued earlier that that something
big was going to happen and that they were going to shock
the world.” “I can tell you that by this unprovoked action,
they have given the military license to kill, never mind all
these noise people are making that soldiers are looting
property, molesting people and raping girls, which is not
true,” he said.
Soldiers wail
Saturday Vanguard learned when the news of the bloodbath
filtered to the soldiers, who went out on patrol in the creeks
when the militants came calling, they boiled with anger and
when they saw their gory remains, many openly
moaned. The colleagues of the fallen soldiers made efforts
to save them and the affected civilians by rushing them to
the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, DELSUTH,
Oghara, but it was pointless, as the doctors were on strike.
They died.
NDA denunciation
Apparently aware of the likely backlash and emotion over
the senseless killing of soldier and sinking of their
houseboat, the Niger Delta Avengers, at about 9.47 pm,
June 2, refuted killing two soldiers in the blood-spattered
attack. It, however, admitted blowing up two crude oil
pipelines in Bayelsa state, same day.
Newly promoted spokesperson, Brigadier General Mudoch
Agbinibo, said: “The Niger Delta Avengers are not involved
in the attack of the Military houseboat around Warri, Delta
State. Killing of Soldiers sleeping is not our style. We
promise the world that in this process of liberating our
People, not a single blood of Nigeria soldiers will be wasted
despite the provocation.” “Even the inhumane Nigeria
soldiers are exempted, our war is on oil installations not to
take innocent lives. For the fact we cannot give life, we also
do not have the power to take any life. But we (Avengers)
are assuring the families of the affected soldiers that we will
bring the culprits to book,” the violent group stated.
Its words: “When it is time to face the military in combat let
the whole world know that we won’t be the ones to throw
the first punch.” NDA added: “This message is going to all
groups parading themselves as freedom fighters. You can
fight for your people without killing innocent souls. NDA has
proved that, we were able to drop Nigeria oil production
from 2 million barrels to just 800,000 barrels without killing
a soul.”
“We are warning every group to follow our footsteps. The
days of killing and kidnapping are over,” the group
added. Shell Media Relations Manager, Precious Okolobo,
said he would get back on the development when contacted
for official comment on the repeated attack on the Forcados
pipeline, where the company had started repairs on
damages resulting from the initial bombing.
Okowa begs
Downhearted governor of Delta state, Senator Ifeanyi
Okowa, Thursday, appealed to the militant group to stop
their bombings, as they were destroying the nation’s
economy. His words: “The pipeline vandalism that is going
on is very bad for Delta State, we are suffering from
pollution, our communities are affected, and we are the
greatest losers; our communities are impacted negatively.”
No retreat, no surrender
The Avengers did not care a hoot about his appeal, as they
struck again in the early hours of yesterday, blowing up the
Forcados 28" export line in his state, belonging to Shell
Petroleum Development Company, SPDC. Brig General
Mudoch said in an email statement: “At 3:00am Niger Delta
Avengers blow up SPDC Forcados 48’ export line. We
warned SPDC not to go on ahead with the repair work but
they refuse. This is an example to all other multinationals.”
Tension heightens
This is even as militant commanders under the auspices
of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Front, JNLF, threatened
on Thursday to commence a three-day testing of six
missiles in Niger Delta states as from June 7 and warning
that they should be no flight within the period.
Time for Buhari to intervene – IYC
Meanwhile, the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, on Friday, observed:
“The situation in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria is rapidly
deteriorating and getting out of control.” Spokesperson of
the council, Mr. Eric Omare, in a statement, said: “The Ijaw
Youth Council (IYC), worldwide calls on President
Mohammadu Buhari to urgently and personally take charge
of the management of the process to return peace and
normalcy to the region.” “In the last 72 hours, there have
been reported cases of attacks and killing of soldiers,
civilians working in house boats and attacks on oil facilities
in Ogbeinbiri, Bayelsa State and Forcados Export Line, Delta
State.
Senseless killings of soldiers, civilians
“The civilians killed at the houseboat were mainly Ijaw
youths including Tombra David Iwoubebi and Anita
Demedongha from Odimodi Community, Burutu Local
Government Area of Delta State. We in strong words
condemn this senseless killing of soldiers and civilians that
were working in the houseboat. This act of wickedness
would only complicate an already delicate security
situation,” he said.
IYC added: “We call for a bi-partisan stakeholders’ effort to
bring the fast deteriorating security situation under control.
The IYC is of the view that to make the process effective
and produce the required result, President Buhari must
personally take charge and provide leadership. The situation
requires the direct involvement of President Buhari.”
It continued: “The events of the last few days have clearly
shown that those mandated to lead the peace process have
failed to produce the desired result. We also call on the
governors of the Niger Delta states to collaborate and
galvanize stakeholders in the region to quickly start the
process to return peace to the Niger Delta region.” “This is a
call to save the Niger Delta region and Nigeria; hence
political considerations must be set aside. The events that
are happening in the region pose serious economic,
environmental and security challenges to the entire nation.
“On the part of the IYC, we reiterate our readiness and
commitment to work with relevant stakeholders to return
peace to the Niger Delta region while at the same time
addressing the issues affecting the region,” the group
asserted. Omare said: The IYC also passionately call on the
Niger Delta Avengers and other militant groups and
individuals to give peace a chance. Violence has never
solved problems anywhere in the world. The federal, state
governments and stakeholders in the Niger Delta region
should be given the opportunity to look at the issues at
stake.” His words: “We strongly feel that the continuous
bombing of oil facilities and killings is not in the interest of
the Niger Delta region and people. Aggrieved groups must
give peace a chance.”
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/06/soldiers-depart-oporoza-without-tompolo/

D

Things Falling Apart In Nigeria

No dem for stay wait for Tompolo. Mumu people

Really!

Dem don give up already?
Hahahaha
That's what what d french call incompetente

clueless

Possibly, the outcome of OBJ and GEJ visit and advice.

Wasted effort. Mcheew

Bunch of frustrated civilians molester. NA sucks!