SAN FRANCISCO, May 28, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Army on Saturday allegedly invaded Oporoza, headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta state reportedly in search of members of the new militant group, Niger Delta Avengers who have been wrecking havoc on oil installations in the delta.
Local sources told THEWILL that the alleged invasion however led to serious turmoil in the community as soldiers, who arrived the community in about eight gunboats around 1: 45 pm shot sporadically all through the night.
THEWILL learnt that while the soldiers were allegedly carrying out the raid on Gbaramatu Kingdom, members of the Avengers were in Bayelsa carrying out multiple attack on oil installations belonging to Shell and Agip.
The militant group had in their Twitter handle confirmed almost the same time soldiers were hunting its members in Oporoza community that it blew up the pipeline.
“About 2;15am on Saturday the @NDAvengers blow up Nembe 1, 2 and 3 Brass to Bonny Trunk Line belonging to Agip and Shell,” they tweeted.
A source said that residents were woken-up with heavy shooting by the soldiers, who took strategic position, some stationed around the palace of the traditional ruler of Gbaramatu Kingdom and Oporoza home of wanted ex-MEND warlord, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo).
“The paramount ruler has not been seen since the raid on the Kingdom. It is not even clear if he is safe or not because the.soldiers were right in front of his palace shooting,” the source said.
THEWILL was told that the community was under army siege for hours with residents scampering for dear lives as the soldiers fire volume of bullets all through the night until daybreak when they disperse and some remained stationed at a military base erected in the community at the wake of the militant upsurge.
The source said that one Chief Atiti Male was hit by sprayed bullet while over ten pregnant women in the sleepy community ran into the thick forest as the soldiers raided residential houses.
One residents said small stores operated by traders were looted as the locals were driven into the bush by heavy shooting by the soldiers.
Secretary of Oporoza Youth Body, Evelyn Bakumo told our correspondent in an emotion laden voice on phone that she rescued about ten expectant mothers who were crying for help into the bush when uncertainty enveloped the entire community over the persistent shooting by the army.
In a terse statement by Chairman of Inikorogha community, Comrade Christopher Ejoh, while condemning the alleged invasion, called on the hierarchy of Nigerian military to exercise caution in its onslaught against militants, stressing that members of the NDA are not indigenes of Gbaramatu Kingdom.
Spokesman for the joint military task force in the area, Isa Ado, could not immediately confirm the raid on Oporoza but a security source told THEWILL there was actually heavy military presence in the area on Saturday morning but could not say if there was assault or not.
Meanwhile, a pressure group, Niger Delta Security Watch Organization of Nigeria has told the Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Tukur Buratai that deploying troops to Gbaramatu Kingdom to pummel the locals and cause serious trauma on them is an act of cowardice.
The statement to THEWILL by President of the group, Barr. Dickson Bekederemo, read; “We condemn, in strong term, the callous invasion and destruction of lives and properties in Oporoza community in Gbaramatu Kingdom by the Nigerian Army.
“It is a known fact, even to the Nigeria Security Agencies ,that militant groups do not establish camps in communities. They build and settle in camps in isolated locations.
“No known ex-agitators from Alhaji Asari Dokubo,Tom Atake, Tompolo, Commander Egbema 1, Farra, Egberipapa to Shoot at sight sited camps in or around communities.
“The Nigerian Army ought to go after the Avengers and confront them in gun battle at their camps. It is an act of cowardice for the Nigeria Army to attack soft target. Does a sleeping community like Oporoza look like Avengers’ camp to Major-General Tukur Buratai ?
“What the Nigerian army did in Oporoza community is not different from the operational pattern of the blood tasty Boko haram that targeted and killed soft targets in order make a senseless and stupid statement.
“The NIGER-DELTA Avengers has consistently claimed that they bombed most of the pipelines in the presence of the Nigeria Army.
“We expected them to have engaged the Avengers in gun battle from there and even captured some of them, instead like Boko haram, they left the Avengers unchallenged to destroy pipelines and thereafter, went after innocent villagers.
“This is the same war tactics of Boko haram and we condemn it in entirety.
“We wish to inform President Buhari that violence and intimidation of the Innocent law abiding citizens within conflicts zone, can not by any stretch of imagination curb a justifiable agitation.
“The President should, as a matter of urgency, address the vexed issues in the NIGER-DELTA that always trigger militancy. No amount of military attacks on soft targets that can curb the agitation.
“Those that will benefit from this callous act are the Avengers whose camps will now witness surge of able young men in quest to also avenge what the Nigerian army did to their family members.”
Story by Joe Ogbodu
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