By Emma Amaize

AJAPA – SEVERAL villagers have been reportedly trapped in the bush for four days without food and water, while the waterways have been cordoned off, following the invasion of Ajapa community, the hometown of Ossy Ibori, the notorious sea pirate kingpin, already killed by soldiers in Lagos, at Arogbo kingdom, Ese -Odo Local Government Area, Ondo State.

Vanguard gathered that the soldiers were carrying out a search operation in the community for his boys and mop up of arms.

President of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Mr Eric Omare, who confirmed the tense situation in Ajapa. told Vanguard that the council had received distress calls from innocent villagers, who were practically under siege, saying: “The people are hemmed in inside the bush, there is no food, no water, no shelter and they urgently need help.”

Reacting to the invasion, national presidents of the Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, and Foundation for Human Rights, Anti Corruption, FHRACC, Austin Ozobo and Alaowei Cleric respectively, daid: “The world should rise in defence of the Ajapa people. The military high command should call their boys to order before they commit genocide.”

They said: ‘This is what we have been saying that there is a sinister plan to wipe out all Niger Delta communities in order to protect their oil interest. The government value the oil more than the people of Niger Delta. Why must Ajapa community be sacrificed for the sins of one man?

“The invasion is beyond the criminal syndicate that has been terrorising Lagos and environs. This is purely an act of aggression against innocent and peace-loving Nigerians. The Nigerian government is manifesting its evil agenda against the people of the Niger Delta,” they added.

Their words: “Our sources informed us that the bombing is a fallout of the military engagement with one Ossy Ibori, a notorious criminal who has been terrorising Lagos, Ogun and Ondo States. The said Ossy who was a native of Ajapa Community was killed in a shoot out by the JTF on the 2nd of May, 2017.”

“It was gathered from a reliable source that the late sea piracy kingpin has been on the wanted list of security operatives. Now that the security agencies have successfully killed the said criminal, we do not know the reason why the military decided to bomb his hometown?

“We cannot accept any excuse by the military to say Ajapa is harbouring criminals. These are the usual excuses the military use to invade the Niger Delta communities. Our source informed us that the criminal has no militant camp in anywhere around the community. We agree that military can carry out search operation in any suspected environment, but such should not translate into bombing an entire community.

” There is no justification for this gross abuse of human rights. This is purely a war of aggression and, perhaps, a crime against humanity. We are calling on President Mohammadu Buhari, the National Assembly and the international community to call the military to order. The Ajapa people have the right to life and must be protected by all and sundry,” they asserted.