Palpable tension on Friday enveloped
Gbaramatu kingdom in Warri South-West
Local Government Area of Delta State as
men of the Nigerian Navy recently deployed
to the area following renewed vandalization
of oil installations, were alleged to have
shot dead a sand scooper on Thursday.


The victim identified as Bernard Pius was
allegedly killed at a jetty in Tebujor
Okpelama community, a Gbaramatu enclave
where wanted ex-militant leader, High Chief
Government Ekpemukpolo alias Tompolo
hails from.


Since the incident, anger is reported to be
building up among the people as the fragile
peace existing in the kingdom was said to
have been threatened by the killing.


Tebujor Okpelama community chairman,
Moses Yabrade told journalists at the village
that the late Pius was scooping sand at the
jetty when a naval officer he identified as
Izonfade Kenneth led other naval men to the
area and shot at their son unprovoked who
fell into the river where he struggled to
death.


The Navy officer who is incidentally an Ijaw,
regularly patrolled the vicinity in a gun boat
following recent vandalization of major
pipelines in the waterways of Warri South
West Council, Yabrade narrated.


Tebujor Okpelama community chairman ex­
plained; “The incident happened at about
10pm Thursday night. Pius was scooping
sand and it is a normal commercial activity
at such quiet time when fishermen also ply
their trade. The victim was alerted by folks
that his sand boat on a 40 horsepower
engine at the Jetty was drifting.

“He then rushed back and was pulling it
back ashore with another boat. That was
the point Izonfade patrolled in with other
colleagues in a gunboat. After shooting and
killing him he moved into the community
bragging about the act and threatening to
shoot another person if he does not get
gratification.


“He was offered N5000 before he joined his
colleagues in the waiting gunboat and they
disappeared, leaving us to mourn our dead.
Incidentally, the shooter is an Ijaw man we
initially see as one of us, but he and his col­
leagues have been terrorizing us. The
officer must be brought to book or we will
take to self-help.”


A prominent Gbaramatu Chief, Chief
Godspower Gbenekama, the Bebenowei
(Chief Mobilizer) of Gbaramatu kingdom
lamented the incident calling on the federal
government to ensure that the naval officer
was arrested and persecuted.


Gbenekama who conveyed the corpse of the
middle age man to mortuary said if nothing
was done by the government the situation
may snowballed into crisis in the Niger
Delta region.


But in a swift reaction to the allegation, Com­
mander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta,
Commodore Raimi Mohammed said it was
too early for him to give true picture of
what transpired, noting that his men may
have followed standard operating
procedures


www.thebreakingtimes.com/army-kills-one-in-gbaramatu-as-hunt-for-tompolo-continues/

Please the government should look into this situation.

May be he followed standard operating procedure. If he MARCH on standard operating procedure he should face the music. No time for lawlessness.

Nigeria sitting on a time bomb. Diplomacy at its peak shd be applied whilst dealing with these ex-militants

---

so at to avoid another round of uproars frm that side.

chriskosherbal:
Please the government should look into this situation.

pls which Government are you talking about?
Cos the Government don turn two.

Government Ekpemukpolo aka Tompolo
Or
Government of our Nation?

Tolexander:
pls which Government are you talking about?

Government Ekpelomokpolo aka Tompolo
Or
Government of our Nation?

LMAO. Bro, where did you disappear to?

They can't get Tompolo. Recall how long he hid in the creek when soldiers were hunting for him during the days of Gbaramatu crisis until he surrendered under Amnesty

joseph1832:
LMAO. Bro, where did you disappear to?

loooooooooooooonnnnnnnng time bro.

Na engagement disengage me from Nairaland o. Lol!

This news is good


Anything that gets Tompolo arrested or scared is good for me

Tolexander:
loooooooooooooonnnnnnnng time bro.

Na engagement disengage me from Nairaland o. Lol!

Bro!you sef dey find us engagement wey go disengage us too oooo.No b only u dey look for that thing ooooo.Welcome back bro.

Tolexander:
loooooooooooooonnnnnnnng time bro.

Na engagement disengage me from Nairaland o. Lol!

E dey happen, hope the engagement bring money sha? Lol.

Lawalemi:
They can't get Tompolo. Recall how long he hid in the creek when soldiers were hunting for him during the days of Gbaramatu crisis until he surrendered under Amnesty

nobody is looking for Tompolo in the news!