Nigerian troops invade Gbaramatu in Delta, ransack four communities

Heavily armed troops yesterday, invaded Gbaramatu kingdom, ransacking some of the communities, including Mekeama, Opkelama, Okerenkoko and Oporoza.

The operation, which lasted several hours, was however hampered, as the military boat got stuck in the swampy terrain, on their way to Mekeama, due to their little knowledge of the area.

After spending hours trying to get the boat out, they quickly beat a retreat.

Spokesman for the Gbaramatu Traditional Council, Chief Godspower Gbenekema, said the troops departed after they were confronted by a handful of protesting angry women.

He explained that while the soldiers tried to get the stuck gunboat out of the swamp, some of the women protested and asked the soldiers what they were looking for, as all the men had ran away from the communities.

He said the leader of the troops replied the women that the military is a federal property, which can enter anywhere it chooses in the country. “The soldiers then told the women to go to villages and tell the men that they don’t want to see any speedboat by the water front henceforth.”

Gbenekema said the directive is tantamount to telling the Gbaramatu people not to go about their livelihood and starve to death in their isolated villages, with nothing to eat.

A very bitter Gbenekema said: “A situation were military men
terrorize defenceless citizens in the name of protection of oil pipeline is not acceptable. If the military do not want to partner citizens in their efforts to protect oil facilities, we do not mind, but they should not hold the
indigenes responsible.

“The Nigerian security forces do not
regard some people as humans; their kings are treated with disdain. How can you be coming to a king’s domain without seeking the traditional ruler’s co-operation? For the traditional ruler of Gbaramatu, this has been his lot.

“When Ese Oruru was abducted, for the police to arrest the man who was accused of abducting her, because she was in the Emir of Kano’s domain, they waited for
the Emir to return from his trip to South Africa, before the security agents could act, but for the Niger Delta rulers the opposite is the case.

“The military would not even mind even if they desecrate their ancestral shrine. What a nation were a different canon is used to rule the Hausa/Fulani north, and a different one for the South-South, especially the Niger Delta people.”

Meanwhile, Owing to the alleged sack of a Bayelsa community by military troops of the Operation Delta Safe on Monday, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has sent a protest letter to the Federal Government and the National Assembly

The CLO is asking the Federal Government and the National Assembly to probe the alleged complicity of military troops in the invasion and destruction of the Sand-Sand community in Nembe Local Government Area of the state.

Indigenes of the community had on Friday cried out over alleged invasion by soldiers in search of suspected members of the militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers.

According to the Community, though the soldiers did not make any arrest nor discover any member of the Niger Delta Avengers, they left in their trail scores of burnt houses, churches and schools.

The authorities of the Joint Task, however denied the allegation through the Coordinator of its Joint Media Centre, Lt. Col. Laolu Daudu.

Dauda stated that though the military troops in conjunction with Special Forces conducted patrols to Sand-Sand fishing camp, it did not burn down houses as alleged by the community.

He said the troops were in search of suspected militants who had re- grouped to resuscitate a camp earlier destroyed.

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