http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=101824&d=2008-01-30

Armed militants in the early hours of yesterdayinvaded the premises of Al-Marine Engineering atBorokiri Port Harcourt and carted away unspecifiednumber of outboard boat engines and shot a civilian.
However, no life was lost in the attack where heavyweapons like dynamites were deployed by the invaderswho operated for nearly two hours before the men ofthe Joint Task Force arrived to dislodge them.
Eyewitness accounts recounted how at about 12.30am,some hoodlums invaded the yard from Borokiriwaterfront and fired sporadically in the air beforeforcing their way into the boat building company closeto the naval base.
They were said to have shot the employee of thecompany in the hand that has also been rushed to anundisclosed hospital for treatment before ransackingall the offices and showroom of the company from wherethey took away the heavy equipment, engines andaccessories.
Contacted, Police Public Relations Officer in theState, Mrs. Ireju Barasua confirmed the attack butsaid they were yet to collate the number of itemstaken by the hoodlums. She corroborated the accountthat no life was lost in the incident.
Also, Lt. Colonel Musa Sagir, Spokesperson of JTFconfirmed that the attackers came from the waterfrontbut immediately his men got wind of the attack, theyrushed to the point and put the militants to flight.
However, residents of the area claim that the JTF onlyarrived after the criminals had carted their lootwhich includes unspecified amount of money in cash.



These are the 'boys' fighting for the 'freedom and emancipation' of the Niger Delta abi? What stopped them from using money acquired from their stealing bunkering operations to purchase these engines (which they no doubt wish to use to shore up their lucrative bunkering and piracy activities?

Don't be deceived by their apologists here on Nairaland (willy*2, ono et al). these guys are criminals, pure and simple.

Tex,
You know I've been pretty quiet lately. This is a trap to draw me out of my closet and I will not fall for it. All I know is that we have genuine Niger Delta agitators and we know those who are criminals from neighbouring states - including Edo, Ondo etc etc.

It is the work of the Police and JTF to maintain law and order in the Delta and prevent hoodlums from inflicting pain on innocent people.

the blackpanthers had charities and educational programs. these idiots only have ak-47 and embarrassing interviews on CNN

@
Texazzpete,
Our Freedom Fighters are patriotic men adored by they entire people of Niger Delta, they are protecting us from dirty unwelcome invaders 'Hausa/Fulani and their Thieves in Chiefs Yoruba Politicians.
The Hausa/Fulani/Yoruba well armed dirty HIV infected Criminals parading themselves as soldiers are they people disguising themselves and robs innocent people. All the robbery that are going on in N-Delta are committed by Fulani/Hausa/Yoruba exported Thieves in Military Uniform.

^^^^^

funny how u absorb ur politicians like igbenideon of any guilt.

Ask Yoruba/Fulani/Hausa Thieves that called themselves Politicians, the Tribes of Crooks in Agbada and Military uniform that ruined Nigeria Economy.

It is impossible to imagine what lasting good can come of from the activities of these militants. We would all be blundering fools to believe that these militants are fighting for the emancipation of the Niger Delta. They are out to steal, kill and destroy like the thieves that they truely are. I find it rather curious that there are people who will to come to their defence even in the face of all their atrocities. . .what prompts these apologists if not the desire for cheap fame or a secret pleasure in encouraging mayhem?

@Willy*2, ono
Hezbollah in lebanon can be described a millitant organization. they receive love and widespread support from civillians because they
1. Build schools
2. Run Hospitals
3. keep the peace
4. Provide loans and assistance to their people.

The legend of Robin Hood said he stole from the rich to feed the poor.

Now my question is, apart from bringing disrepute to the entire Niger Delta, what have these ND genuine millitants done?
One of the main leaders of the 'genuine' millitant leadershit, Chief Ekpemupolo (aka Tom Polo) has a palatial abode in the creeks. The sums Asari and henry Okah (aka Jomo Gbomo) were quoted as talking about were in the hundreds of millions.
What of the ordinary ND people

Your Ijaw leaders are always to be found mouthing off, but what have they done to ameliorate the suffering of their people with their stupendous wealth?

When they say communities lack water, why not help with a borehole?
If someone could go into an army cantonment with N120 million to purchase arms, why not use the money to better their people?

they r thieves,dirty n ugly ones, n will all rot in hell

I really don't know if we're discussing along thesame lines here.

I have said that hoodlums parading themselves as ''Niger Delta'' militants do not have the blessings of the people of the area. I thought that's clear for all to see.


But I also said that with or without the militants, there's a general feeling of neglect, utter diregard for the rights of the people of the area and deprivation of the highest level going on in the Delta on the part of the Niger Delta people. And that they will do all they can to change the gory trend. Leave hoodlums parading as ''Niger Delta Militants'' alone. Their time is almost up.

Now, can we discuss further from here?

@ono
If you're talking about peaceful agitation, then we're on the same page.
My grievance is with those that take up armed struggle, with nothing for their people to show for it.

Point of correction Tex, It's impossible for hoodlums and folks who have ill-gotten wealth to show anything ''meaningful'' for it.

I'm sure you don't imply that Niger Delta people are waiting on hoodlums to account for their stewardship - while pilfering in the creeks.

@ono
i'm talking about what Robin Hood and Hezbollah did/do. Help the common man.

The Niger Delta leadership is the main cause of these issues. how can people b proudly talking about 'Youths' and 'gallant warriors' without talking about 'scholars'?

Encourage their youths to go to school. if these guys hadn't been too lazy to advance academically, the struggle to gain great influence in the E&P business would not have been so hard.
as it is, the vast majority of these guys qualify only for mid to low ranking jobs and menial work.

In a recent interview Edwin Clark refuted allegations that the Ijaw youths were too lazy to go to school, saying that people who battle soldiers cannot be lazy.

but anyone who graduated from a first-line university knows it's harder to go through school - with excellence - than to skulk around camps, playin god with dangerous weapons.

As far as I'm concerned, these guys are hoodlums. And your suggesting Robin Hood and Hamas style of ''militancy'' will not happen in the delta because as things stands they don't have any feeling for humans like they are. Also, just as we have Adedibu doing his own ''thing'' at Ibadan and OPC and the Northern pressure groups doing theirs elsewhere, under the guise of propagating some ethnic agenda, and without the blessing of the generality of the people of those areas, so also are these hoodlums in the delta.

I really care less about who their sponsors are, and like you rightly observed, these people are just a selfish bunch. I'm fed up with their activities and I believe they constitute a nuisance to the Niger Delta society at large.

And I don't know what you're talking about their academic qualifications. I heard a lot of these folks are very well read people from reputable Universities, whose efforts at getting gainful employment have been repeatedly thwarted by the ethnic oligarchs in the oil companies operating in their areas.

this is some "breaking news"   

d usual supects don come to celebrate robbers and thieves. nothing don change. oya make i run for cover.