By  Emma Amaize

Bitter celebration

IT was celebration galore for the Joint Task Force JTF)  in Niger-Delta, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, when its troops, June 23, accosted some purported sea pirates in the creek of Bayelsa State and shot dead six of them in a supposed gun battle, while the seventh suspect, who  escaped with bullet wounds, later died.

One of the suspects, Tony Ebipa, a speedboat driver, was  married with two wives and two children. In fact, one of his wives was pregnant at the time he was killed, last month.  Another victim, Timi Esemogha, a bricklayer, was married to one wife with one child.

Media Coordinator of JTF, Lt. Col Onyema Nwachukwu, told reporters: “About 5.00 pm on June 23, troops of JTF Operation Pulo Shield, at Agge, while on patrol along River Ramos, encountered a gang of seven suspected pirates. On sighting our troops, the pirates opened fire and our patrol troops immediately returned fire.

“Six pirates were killed in the encounter while one escaped into the river with gunshot wounds”. He added  that items recovered included one 200-horse power speedboat, two single barrel guns, seven mobile phones, two hack saw blades, four wraps of substance suspected to be Indian hemp and four torch lights.

Few days, however,  human rights activists and families of the purported  suspects raised dust over the killings, alleging extra-judicial murder. They claimed there was no exchange of gunfire between the youths (suspects) and soldiers who arrested them before they were murdered.

*Pirates or extra-judicial killings victims? The purported picture of the youths before the killings

Charge against the JTF

The activists: National president of the Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, Mr. Ozobo Austin; Mallam Yusuf Eregbene; and  Omemiroro Ogedegbe, have called on the Chief of  the Army Staff to probe the extra-judicial murder of the six Niger-Delta youths”.

In a petition, dated July 1, addressed to the Chief of  the Army Staff, by  the legal adviser to IPDI, Ogedegbe, the group said the seven Niger-Delta youths were confronted, June 23, by operatives of JTF in Bayelsa State, duly captured and arrested.

It, however, noted with dismay that the youths (suspects) were eliminated by operatives of the JTF, who alleged that the youths, later labeled as sea pirates, engaged them in a shootout.

No shootout with JTF

Given the above backdrops, the activists made four submissions: First, “That there was never a shootout between the alleged youths and operatives of the Joint Task Force”. Secondly, “That the information released by the JTF as published in national newspapers is entirely false and calculated to rationalize a clear sense of sheer murder.” Thirdly, “That it was after the successful arrest of the six youths by the operatives of the JTF that they were eliminated in a manner that smacked  of sheer murder.”

Seized before extermination

And fourthly, “That the photographs and witness evidences clearly support our claims that the youths were duly captured and arrested only to have been eliminated in cold blood , an act they (JTF)) are not authorized by any law in force in Nigeria to so do”.

“The activists added: “The above situation demands your intervention and investigation so as to initiate a court marshal process as required for the officers involved to answer for their act of sheer murder.

“In the light of the above, we shall be compelled to have recourse to the law court without further notice on you if you do not initiate the process of unraveling the officers involved in this act of extra-judicial murder within seven days of your receipt of this letter  as to leave this murderous tendencies un-corrected will not augur well for the region.”

Photographic evidence

IPDI national president, Ozobo, maintained, in an interview with Sunday Vanguard, that the  deceased persons were returning from a burial ceremony when they were confronted and arrested on the waterways by  the JTF soldiers, who took them to Agge community, but later shot them dead after telling villagers that they were taking  them to Warri.

He showed  photographs of the suspects, taken by villagers at Agge community after they were arrested by soldiers.

According to him, “As I Investigated the circumstances surrounding the death of the innocent law abiding citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I was told by a community source that the JTF intercepted them when they were returning from a burial ceremony. They were accused of stealing, sea piracy and militancy.

They were subjected to all kinds of human indignity and, immediately, their hands were tied. They were subsequently brought to Agge community in Bayelsa State, where eye witnesses with sophisticated phones photographed them unknown to the soldiers”.

Murdered in cold blood Ozobo went on:  “After that,  the Joint Task Force took them away,  deceiving the villagers and sympathizers that they were taking them to Warri for imprisonment, and,  unfortunately,  cut the lives of the law abiding citizens by shooting them on their way to Warri.

“The Joint Task force allegedly reported that they were killed in gun dual or a shootout. This report is barbaric and uncalled for, and they should have respect for humanity and mankind and desist from further unlawful killing of this kind. “I condemn this senseless killing because they were not arrested on gun point, neither killed in a shootout, as I was told no weapon was found in their boat when they were accosted by the Pulo Shield”.

JTF’s counter claim

Nevertheless, Nwachukwu, the JTF spokesman, who was emailed the photograph by Sunday Vanguard, said, “The picture seems to depict a parade of six and not seven”.

He maintained the suspects opened fire on the troops, saying, “Single barrel guns, three hard saws, seven mobile phones and 200 horsepower boat were recovered from them… It is common knowledge that pirates usually use high -powered boats as the exhibit recovered from the pirates because of their sea-going capability”.

‘Notorious pirates’

According to him, “These notorious pirates had been carrying out attacks on innocent users of the Agge River waterway until they ran out of luck. They were seven and not six. One of them escaped with gunshot wounds. “What were they doing with hard saws and weapons if they were actually coming from a funeral”.

Families disagree

Mrs. Oyatede Ebipa, a trader from Orugbene in Burutu, Delta State, who identified herself as  the mother of Tony Ebipa, one of the victims, a speedboat driver, told Sunday Vanguard, “I was at home on June 23 when a message came to me that my son was arrested by the army and they brought a photograph to show me. “Since then, I have been looking for my son, I don’t know his whereabouts”. Mrs. Ebipa  lives in Patani.

My son not a sea pirate – Mrs Ebipa

She said her son resided in Warri Corner, Warri and debunked the claim that he was a sea pirate. Mrs. Ebipa also said it was not true that her son was an ex-militant.

Visit to JTF, Yenagoa

She said that when she was told that Tony was arrested by the JTF, she went to the office of the task force in Yenagoa, Bayelsa  State, but was told by soldiers at the gate that there was no such person in their custody and that she should not come back to the place.

Timi was a bricklayer- Mrs. Esemogha

Mrs. Oyakebisemo Esemogha, mother of Timi, who was also shot dead, denied that her son was a sea pirate, saying  he was a bricklayer and sand supplier. She confirmed that her son was shot dead by soldiers on July 28, five days after the incident.

“I was invited by my family elders and when I came down to meet them in Warri, I was told that my son was arrested and they showed me the picture of his arrest with other boys. After I was told, I went and met some people in government to find a way out to get him released, it was then they told me that he had already been killed,” she said.

‘JTF lied’

Mrs. Esemogha said the soldiers claimed that  her  son was a sea pirate, but the information she got from villagers at Agge, where they were taken to after they were arrested by the soldiers, was different from the story that they opened fire on soldiers. She insisted that the people of Agge community confirmed that all the suspects were first arrested and brought by the soldiers to the community before they were taken away and killed.

Both mothers said they were not aware of the story that some sea pirates robbed some persons on the day their sons were killed by soldiers.

Findings

Investigation by Sunday Vanguard showed that the suspects were actually arrested by soldiers and shot dead afterwards. Unknown to the soldiers, however, some of the villagers had taken photographs of the suspects when they were brought to Agge.

But, it could not be ruled out that they were ex-militants  linked them to membership of the Movement for the Survival of Niger-Delta Disarmed Youth, MOSONDY, led by Seiyifa Gbereke, alias “General” Cairo, who was arrested by the JTF, recently, in Yenagoa.

The group was responsible for   the series of bombings on oil pipelines belonging to Shell Nigeria Production Company, SNPECo, and Agip in Delta and Bayelsa states in recent months, but they did not open fire on soldiers, as alleged by the task force, and, according to the laws of the country, a suspect is regarded as innocent until proven guilty.

Sunday Vanguard, nevertheless, gathered that a number of soldiers were jittery over the matter, as some persons in authority who knew the truth had vowed that those involved would be made to face the music if the matter went  beyond their expectation.