…Okporoza Communities Deserted
Various Ijaw groups have risen up against the shadowy militant group,
Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), over the current serial bombings of oil and
gas facilities in Delta State, describing the masterminds as cowards and
saboteurs.
But it seems the group is undeterred as it has vowed to destroy more oil
and gas, including government facilities especially in Calabar, Lagos,
Port Harcourt and Abuja in the coming days.
Spokesman of Ijaw Youths Congress (IYC) a foremost Ijaw youths body,
Barrister Eric Omare, has slammed the group for the deadly attacks, saying
that there was no rationalization for NDA to embark on destruction of oil
facilities thereby polluting the region’s environment.
Omare who spoke in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State capital, called on President
Muhammadu Buhari to unmask the perpetrators to save innocent persons and
communities in the region from destruction.
Said he: “We do not see the justification in the Niger Delta Avengers’
embarking on destruction of oil facilities because Chief Government
Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo has denounced the group.
“I think Tompolo did the proper thing by coming out to inform the entire
world that he was not part of the NDA when there were insinuations to the
effect that he was behind them.
“As with other cases of attack on oil facilities, the Niger Delta
environment and people are the ultimate victims and would suffer from
these latest attacks. The IYC believes that irrespective of their
grievances, there are better ways of expressing them rather than
contributing to the further destruction of the already massively degraded
Niger Delta environment.
“The security agencies should go after the real culprits and not innocent
communities and people in the region. From our experience, the security
personnel in a bid to impress their superiors and justify the huge amount
of money budgeted for the purpose, always attack innocent communities and
people.
“This must not be allowed to happen this time around. We would also advise
the Federal Government to be prompt in directing security agencies to deal
with insurgent groups all over the country including the Fulani herdsmen
who have been killing innocent Nigerians just like they have just directed
in respect of the Niger Delta Avengers.”
In the same vein, Niger Delta Riverine Security also carpeted the group,
describing it as “a criminal and devilish group, which is interested in
turning the Niger Delta into a region where the safety of lives and
property is not guaranteed.”
According to Commander Oduku, the group was interested in crippling
economic activities in the Niger Delta and Nigeria and advised the youths
in the region not to have anything to do with ‘’these criminals.”
Also, a former militant leader and member of the Delta State Waterways and
Land Security Committee, Mr. Goodday Smith, washed his hands of the
heinous activities of the group, saying “those who are aggrieved in one
way or the other with the Federal Government should channel their
grievances to the appropriate quarters, instead of engaging in such acts
of destruction of oil installations.”
For the defunct Niger Delta Liberation Front, NDLF, members of Niger Delta
Avengers should come out boldly to declare their mission if the group has
a good motive for the region and stop behaving like cowards.
“If they have genuine intentions for the region, they should be bold
enough to come out and make their demands known. When we were carrying out
our activities under the leadership of the late “General” John Togo, we
did not hide our identity,” its spokesman, Colonel Mark Anthony said in a
statement.
NDLF called for the sack of the current Amnesty Chairman, Paul Boroh as he
was not ‘’in touch with Niger Delta major ex-agitators’’ and ‘’another
Chairman who knows the boys in the creeks should be appointed and this
will stop the current oil war’’.
Meanwhile, residents of Oporoza and other adjoining communities have begun
to leave the communities for fear of military reprisal attacks as Tompolo
is reported to be holing up in the area.
Sources said the Oporoza community was a ghost town when the military in
two gun boats invaded it on Monday in search of suspected perpetrators of
the bombings.
Security source said the military has commenced serious manhunt for the
ex-militant leader and the members of NDA, noting that more Ijaw
communities would be combed for arms and ammunition with a pledge to crush
the rebels.