By Emma Arubi
WARRI — NATIONAL Co-ordinator of Niger Delta Re-orientation Project, Mr. Sheriff Mulade, and leadership of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State have condemned the vandalisation of oil pipelines at Utonana and Macaraba by some angry Ijaw youths. It was allegedly in retaliation for the killing of two of their own by soldiers of the Joint Task Force.

The soldiers had allegedly shot and killed the two Ijaw youths at the Escravos-Gas-To-Liquid, EGTL, project site at Escravos Monday last week.

Sources in Gbaramatu Kingdom, whose kinsmen were killed by the JTF troop, disassociated the area from the attack on the Chevron’s pipeline, Friday.

According to the sources, the youths described the action as criminal and asked the authorities to investigate and bring the masterminds to book.

Laments kinsmen’s death

Although they described the death of their kinsmen as painful and unacceptable, the community leaders said they had employed civilised and lawful means for redress.

Public Relations Officer of Ugborodo Community Trust, Mr. Ayiri Emami, had advised against blowing up pipelines because of the unfortunate incident, saying that both Itsekiri and Ijaw  community leaders were handling the issue at a very high level.

It was gathered that the delivery line from Abiteye to Escravos was affected by the attack on the facilities by the youths.

However, Gbaramatu Kingdom, where the military operation took place in May, 2009, to dislodge the dreaded former militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemukpolo, alias Tompolo, in a statement signed by Chiefs Dan Ekpebide, Godspower Gbe-nekama, Emmanuel Timiyan and Mr. Joseph Wuruyai, weekend, urged the Federal Government to probe the activities of JTF in the area.

Demilitarise Gbaramatu

Citing the killing of the youths, Gbaramatu Kingdom also demanded that the area be demilitarised without further delay.

The statement reads in part: “The people of Gbara-matu Kingdom wish to bring to the notice of the general public the recent murder of two of their children working in the Escravos EGTL project by military men in Chevron’s services.

“We see the incident as a calculated attempt by the military men in furtherance of their onslaught against Gbaramatu Kingdom.

“That among over 3,000 workers at the worksite, the two shot dead by the military men are from Gbaramatu Kingdom speaks volumes of the fact that the military is not through with their genocide attacks on our people.

“Is it true that Sunday Mala and Solomon Tonfa working in the EGTL project were also militants? We want to put it straight that until our creeks and villages are completely demilitarised, such incidents will never stop.

“It is very unfortunate and painful that about four days after the incident, there is no official statement from the government or CNL to the families and communities in Gbaramatu, where these young men came from.”