By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa
The relative peace of Nembe creek was in the early hours of today (Friday) shattered as heavily armed militants engaged men of the Joint Task Force stationed at Obioku community in bloody shoot out forcing the natives to flee their homes.
The rampaging militants it was learnt also attacked the Omoku-Ogoda-Brass trunk line with two risers at Egeinkiri belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company blown up causing massive oil spill on the river.
Two soldiers were feared dead in the Obioku attack allegedly launched by a combine team of militants from two camps on the Atlantic fringe.
Though the report from the creek that two soldiers were feared dead could not be confirmed but it was learnt that the attack was launched by a combine team of militants from two different camps said to be returning from a social gathering in one of the communities in the locality.
Saturday Vanguard learnt that the attack on the serene coastal settlement of Obioku was carried out by militants operating from one of the camps on the Atlantic fringe of Southern Ijaw and the Brass axis.
It was reliably gathered that the coastal settlement is host to the Italian oil giant, Agip oil which Saturday Vanguard learnt was planning to commence development of a new oil well in the community in another two weeks.
The development, a source from the area told Saturday Vanguard is causing tension in with the natives fleeing their homes for fear of possible reprisal attack from the Joint Task Force which has deployed more troops to strengthen its position in the troubled coastal enclave.
It was further learnt that after the Obioku attack the rampaging militias later attacked the Omoku-Ogoda-Brass trunk line with two risers at Egeinkiri belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company blown up causing massive oil spill on the river.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Agip facility in the troubled creek but was silent on the alleged death of the soldiers.
The group in an online statement made available to Saturday Vanguard in Yenagoa signed by Jomo Gbomo said, “A major pipeline which delivers crude oil to the Brass export terminal was blown up at the Nembe creek in Bayelsa State this morning Friday, June 19, 2009 at about 0300Hrs by heavily armed fighters from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).
“The pipeline belongs to Agip.
“Our fighters encountered a military gunboat and all the soldiers numbering seven (7) were dispossessed of their weapons. The gunboat was also stripped of its weapons before it was disabled by explosives.
“The soldiers pleaded for their lives to be spared and we did.
“We want to use this opportunity to ask members of the public around the Bonny and Port Harcourt axis to watch the video of the extra judicial killing by the JTF of one Boma and his brother on You Tube to help trace the family and friends so as to reveal the perpetrators of the criminal act who the JTF are covering for.
“If soldiers who are supposed to protect civilians harass, rape and kill them, then they should be exposed. We know that the military still has a few good God fearing men who may recall the incident when the men were shot on a jetty where the JTF gunboats are docked. Please come forward and expose the killers amongst you.”
Meanwhile, The Joint Task Force today (Friday) confirmed the attack on its location at Obioku in the Nembe Creek by militants.
Though sources from the area told Saturday Vanguard that two soldiers were feared dead during dawn raid but the security outfit dismissed the claim saying the attack was repealed and heavy casualty inflicted on the attackers who were forced to flee.
The JTF in a statement signed by its spokesman, Col Rabe Abubakar also denied the claim that an Agip delivery line was blown up by the militants.
According to him, the militants who attacked its Obioku base were in search of arms and ammunition following the blockade of the routes they have been using for illegal bunkering and supply of arms.
The statement read in part, “There was attack by yet to be identified group of militants who came in 5 speed boats at about 3am, 19 June 2009 to attack JTF location at Obioko near Nembe, Bayelsa State and this led to serious exchange of fire between the armed hooligans and troops of JTF on duty there.
“The attack was botched and heavy casualty was inflicted on the attackers who were forced to flee. There was no casualty on our side nor any community member and the facility we are guarding (Agip Pipelines) are hundred percent safeguarded.
“The purpose of the attack was not far-fetched from the fact that they were looking for arms and ammunition because the JTF has blocked all routes that the criminals used for illegal oil bunkering activities through which they purchased arms for use against their own people and country. This information is verifiable. Any individual or group can verify this information with the JTF at the place where this attack happened.”
Col Abubakar added, “As we keep saying, the JTF is only here for the protection of lives and property, oil facilities inclusive. This is our task which will continue to manifest in our actions by crushing any criminal who insists on causing mayhem and insecurity in this our great nation. Hence, we are at all times ready to deal decisively and appropriately on any misguided elements.”
According to him, “the JTF is never an institution of brutality against innocent citizens as we do not have such records in the past and we will not have it now. People of substance should know by now that criminals are our targets and we want to reiterate that we are on top of situation in the region as far as we are concerned, because we can suppress any militant group or groups at any given time anywhere and whenever we decide.
“It is not out of place to talk of group that does not exist, however, we want to categorically state that there was an attempt to attack the facility which was foiled at Agip pipelines at Nembe early this morning, therefore, the snatching of gunboat as claimed was laughable as we don’t fight a dream war for cheap glory. Our men are not cowards; they are trained to counter any unwarranted person or persons in self defence.
We will keep liaison with peace-loving individuals and community leaders for timely information as regards the activities of the criminals for quick and speedy response.”
@danny, David K is right. Majority of nigerians support the the JTF. Even in your own Niger delta, most people are on the side of the military. MEND and the other militant group are nothing but a bunch of criminals. If they put down their arms and surrender, no more lives will be lost on both sides.
There is no way they can win this war with the Nigerian military. they are wasting innocent lives.
The only solution to Niger Delta problem is negotiation. The Militants are hurting their own people and the nations economy for selfish gains.
I say to JTF. WIPE THEN OUT. NO F*CKING AMNESTY.
MEND is a freedom fighter. we want social and economic change now. JTF and Frank Nweke propaganda will fail. Branding MEND as a criminal gang and oil bunkering group will not work. We know and rtd Adm Adeleke knows them. Amnesty? MEND will not surrender their arms. ND people have the right to bear arms to defend themselves. JTF Abubakar and Frank Nweke (consultant) intend to weaken support for MEND will fail. FG must address the core issues in ND.
Yes, Mr David K., the soldiers that were killed have children and wives at home who will never see them again. u are 100% correct. in the same vain, MEND members have children and wives at home. it will be better accepted, if u speak for yourself than saying the nigerian people are in support of the military action. but have u asked yourself whether it has solved the niger delta problem. military action is never an option. lets replace the military men with justice. have u ever visited an oil producing community? please, lets reason together.
Mr Patrick Agbobu, u are too controversial. maybe u should not comment on certain issues
No responsible government negotiates with criminals and terrorists. Any government that negotiates with criminals must fail and deserves to fail. What signals is such government sending? Any government or individual that rewards criminality is equally a criminal. Compromise for the sake of compromise is a step to destruction. From the looks of things and avaliable information and statistics, It appears the government, knows who these criminals and their backers are. Any government that sends, his uniformed military personne, to harms way and orders them, to protect lives and properties and the process of carrying these orders, the military personnel are waylayed and slaughteres by the criminals and the government does nothing to the criminals and their backers, Any such government will have a mutiny in the armed forces and should deserve a mutuny in the armed forces. No reasonable person will fault the armed forces if they mutuny and even have an overthrow of government. I hope the Fderal government and those who are asking the government to pussy foot and negotiate with the criminals, understand this serious senario. There is a popular saying that says a child who will not allow his mother to sleep will not sleep too. The use of violence by the criminals and their backers for their selfish ends is not the sole periogative of the criminals and their backers. the federal government must address this problem head long, flush out the criminals and their backers, read the riot act to the multinationals that have destroyed the lands, waters and environment of the Niger Delta and make thses multinationals that the poluter must clean up and pay for their actions. The criminals, their backers, governments and so called sellfish leaders of the Niger Delta are egually as guilty. The Almighty God will surely punish, all of them for the terrible pains, harms and deaths they have caused, the good people of the Niger Delta.
Can someone help me to tell Rabe Abubakar to SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How can he still come openly to lie when even Agip oil confirms that their oil trunk was blown up.Why should he defend his idiotic men who killed innocent Niger Deltans when even the head of the US army chief of joint staff(Mullen)openly admitted US airstrikes against Afgan civilians and Barrack Obama even apologized for it.Rabe Abubakar must be crazy!TRUTH wins wars and not lies which is associated with JTF.Rabe,Nigerians are not fools and stop lying.Admit and tell the truth at least for once because i know lies runs in your family and blood even you were born with it.MEND is not a criminal organization but freedom fighters.I’m even glad they know the rules of engagement in war better than the so-called JTF.They are fighting to stop oil slavery period and make the govt to better the lives of the poor masses.
The Nigerian Army should disregard any cease fire call by Yaradua or any bloody civilian politician, they should go all out and strike back at the militants, and the communities that are harboring them.The Nigerian Army has the overwhelming support of the Nigerian people,the soldiers that were killed also have children and wives at home who will never see them again.They should not sit and fold their arms while this criminals run wild thinking they can do any thing they want.The Nigerian Army should use overwhelming force when neccessary.God Bless The Nigerian Army And the Federal republic Of Nigeria.
This medium should be used to spring out opinions on how to solve the problems in Niger Delta.
Waffi, please show a little maturity in responding to peoples opinion. Some one expressed his feeling and opinion on how to solve this problem and you[Waffi] called him an idiot and in the end did not write the solution to the problem. Tell the public whether war is the solution and give some reasons, if not , tell us the solution and what has to done to achieve. If this essay is to marked, Patrick scores higher. Do not pour insult on a contributor when you want your own opinion to be respected.
Corruption, Injustice, Humiliation, Neglect etc metted to the region by the federal government is no longer a news. How do we solve the problem f inbalance? I still feel and maintain that the solution will take sometime because it must come out of a round table talk. But the south should be politically strenghthened else, what ever the solution will be will never favour the agitators.
PATRICK AGBOBU it is idiots like you who like the proverbial ostrich tht refuses to remove its head from the sand and confront the reality of the injustice tht has been ongoing for nearly 5 decades whereby a country tht calls itself a federal republic will siphon the resource and wealth from one of its federating units for the sustance of the rest withut the rremaining regions contributing a dime to the center and u think its not only ok but actually support the brutal animalistic and selfish attempts by ur hausa masters to maintain the unjust and unfair status quo.instead of silly ostriches lke urselves to be calling ur dogs to order and encouraging them to start practising FISCAL FEDERALISM by weaning themselves from the suffocating and shameful overdependence on just 1 resource from 1 region ,highlighting the dangers inherent in such reckless and lazy behaviour on the part of ur people,instead idiots like u have commited urself to indulging in the futile and irritating exercise of self delusionary distraction by attempting to blame the victims for the woes meted out to them by ur evil compatriots to lazy o start generating wealth for themselves but rather like ur hero said should be prepared to wipe out 20 million of us rather than consider wht isthe right and just solution t the niger delta crisis
I can not understand President Yar’Adua and the bunch of the advisers around him. How can he ask for the advice of the council of state. These were the same people who created the problem or ignored the problems at in the first place. The people of Nigeria gave the President the benefit of doubt after the election, judging from the controvercy that trailed his election. We gave him the benefit of doubt, because of his fairly good performance as governor of Kastina state, as against and compared with the ways, some of the other governors governed and looted the treasuries of their state. Nigerians also looked at the impecable good record of his family in governments, especially his father and senior brother, who at the end of the day sacrificed his life for democracy and Nigeria. Some of the President group of advisers are some of the discreditied, indicted and corrupt ex governors, who looted the treasury and some of them, are the backers of the criminals causing mayhem and slaughtering our military people, sent by the President the commander In Chief, to mentain peace and harmony in the Niger Delta. They are involved in illegal oil bunkering and they are making a lot of blood money from the sufferings of the people of the Niger Delta. Some of the ex governors have planted their people in very sensitive positions, around the President. They are seen at the corridor of power and at all public functions. They boast of having the ear of the President. At nigth they meet with the criminals and plan to cause crises in the Niger Delta for their selfish ends. Some of the ex top military persons are also involved in this shameless and dis gracefull practices. The President should do the followings if he wants to bring peace and prosterity to the Niger Delta, his people and Nigeria. There should be no more slogans, meetings, talks and committees. There should be and must be positive actions.
The problem in the Niger Delta was caused by the followings,
1. The International Multi National companies in the Niger Delta. These companies operate as cow boys, recklessly, with dis regard to the environment, the waters, the lands of the Niger Delta. They polluted the waters, waters and the environment as a result, the people can not farm on their land or fish in their waters, which is their main occupations. The people are dieing dailly of diseases caused by the polution to the environment by the multinational companies. These multi nationals build cheap infrastrutures like pipe lines etc., with disregards to internationally accepted norms and good practices. There will never do such things in other parts of the world they are operating, otherwise they will pay very dearly for such horrible practices. The multi Nationals have made a lot of money from these sharp practices, at the expence of the lives of the people of the Niger Delta.
2. The next offender are federal and state governments of all shades, both past and present, who have made lot of money by ignoring and encouraging the multi National companies to get away with murder. Most of them are in the council of state, The President now want to get advice from. They are now being asked by the President to mark their papers or be the judge and jury in their own case.
3. The third group are the so called selfish leaders or do i say dealears of the Niger Delta, who have also made a lot of money from the sufferings of the people of niger Delta, they claim they are leading. These same persons are some of the those who sponsor the criminals to forment and cause a lot of sufferings to the people of the Niger Delta.
4. The President must without futher delay, publish the names of those, who have been sponsoring these criminals in the Niger Delta. The President must name and shame them.
We then can talk of amnesty, truth and reconcilliation. Why talk of amnesty when we do not know these people who sponsor these criminals. If The President names and shame them, then grants amnesty, the criminals will now openly come out.
The federal government should introduce a wind fall tax on the huge profits the mnltinationals made over the period and use ALL the money for the developement of the Niger Delta and the ecconomic empowerment of the people of the Niger Delta. ALL the money realised from the excess crude, which was got any way, from the Niger Delta, should be used for the ecconomic development and empowerment of the people of the Niger Delta. The federal government should draw down now, 30% of its external revenue for the ecconomic developement of the Niger Delta and ecconomic empowerment of the people of the Niger Delta. The ferderal government should not give the usual excuse, that this draw down will affect the value of the naira, as this is a price that, we should pay for the peace and stability of the Niger Delta and Nigeria. ALL THESE MUST BE DONE NOW!! Mr. President do all these and you have solved the problem permanently. If you do ALL of these history and prosterity will remember you very kindly.