This Day (Lagos)
Nneoma Ukeje-Eloagu And Jaiyeola Andrews
3 May 2004
Washington DC/ Warri — The United States has urged the Nigerian Government to ensure that those responsible for the April 23 attacks on an oil service boat in the Niger Delta region which resulted in the death of two American citizens are brought to justice.
In a statement issued yesterday, based on the response to questions taken at the daily press briefing by Richard Boucher, spokesman of the State Department, last Friday, the US also expressed concern over recent reports of violence in the Niger Delta.
"We hope that security will be restored as soon as possible. If this requires intervention by the security forces, we hope that this will be done with respect for the rule of law and that further violence will be avoided," the statement noted.
Two weeks ago, on the creeks of Alero, a village in Delta State, two American expatriates, three Nigerian naval men, a security man, and a boat operator were shot dead on the Benin River. There were two survivors: an American expatriate and a naval personnel.
The statement also denied expressing dissatisfaction with the Nigerian government on the progress of investigations and called on all parties in the Niger Delta to avoid further violence while the investigation is on.
"We call on all parties in the Niger Delta to exercise respect for the rule of law as the investigation moves forward and to avoid further violence," it stated.
Some Nigerian dailies had reported last week, that the Federal Government is under pressure from the United States to find the killers of the seven men who died in the attack at Alero creeks in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State. The government, according to the report, was being threatened by the US to either evacuate its remaining citizens from the Niger Delta region or the US would cut back on aid to Nigeria. The US was also reported as being uncomfortable with the fact that no arrest has been made so far.
But in what appeared to be a direct reply to the US government's exhortation, the Delta State Government has appealed to all residents particularly members of the three ethnic groups in Warri to avoid making unguarded statements on the incident.
Speaking yesterday in a chat with THISDAY in Asaba, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor James Ibori on Media and Publicity, Mr Abel Oshevire said the appeal has become necessary to avoid a situation in which people would make spurious allegations in order to settle scores.
"In as much as the state government would want Deltans, and indeed all Nigerians, to assist security agents with information in the search for the perpetrators of the dastardly act, we wish to caution against reckless and unguarded comments," Oshevire stated.
According to him, "It will smack of recklessness and wickedness for people to deliberately concort falsehood against one another, just to settle scores."
He noted that in view of the high degree of interest the killings have generated, everything would be done to arrest the killers so that innocent people would not suffer in the hands of security agents unjustly.
Oshevire added that to avoid a situation whereby security agents would be compelled to use force in fishing out the killers, it was better for those with relevant information to volunteer them.
"The danger is that if at the end of the day, people do not come up with the necessary information to assist the security agents in arresting the culprits, the (security agents) would be forced to go into the riverine communities in the search for the killers. This definitely would spell doom as innocent people would suffer in the process," he added.
He, however, commended security agents for the maturity exhibited so far in the handling of the incident, and appealed to them to avoid being provoked into taking actions that would cause untold hardship on innocent citizens in the search for the killers.
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