George Onah, Jimitota Onoyume & Samuel Oyedongha
20 December 2007
Lagos — THE Tom Ateke-led Niger Delta Vigilante claimed responsibility, yesterday, for Wednesday's attack on the NNPC jetty at Okiriama -village in Okrika, Rivers State, and threatened more.
The Joint Task Force (JTF) vowed to get him at all costs but preferably alive "so that he can face justice."
Another group of gunmen, Wednesday night, abducted the 91-year-old father of the Bayesla State Accountant-General, Mr. Thomas Zidafamor.
That was just after the release of Pa Simon Ebebi, father of the state's deputy governor by gunmen.
Ateke Tom dares FG
Spokesperson for the Ateke group, Jones Daniso, said in a text message to Vanguard yesterday that the JTF had "tampered with the tail of a viper." He accused the JTF of rendering Ateke homeless and turning him into a vagabond.
The task force had recently dislodged the warlord from his Okochiri Evil Forest abode in Okirika during which his houses, cars, flying boats, money and other property were destroyed.
Damiso said: "Ateke Tom wishes to make it clear to the world that the killing of the soldiers in Okrika, the burning of their patrol vans and the local government council as well as the ships was carried out by him.
"My action is predicated on the general lack of confidence in the presidential peace, brokered between the Nigerian State and the Izon people. This is also evident in the arrest of Henry Okah in Angola and the recent attack on me and other places by the forces of the same government.
"Certainly, this is not a government that wants peace. We will continue to fight till our rights are respected as a people.
Enough of this double-standard and double-speak in a frail and crisis-prone region."
But the JTF warned yesterday that "there would be no hiding place for criminals" and all self-styled militants involved in brigandage.
JTF vows to get Ateke Tom
The JTF Commander, Brigadier Sariki Yarki Bello, said his men would not relent in apprehending Ateke. He said all the task force required was the right information, stressing: "One day we will get him. We will like to get him alive so he can face justice. I have a chain of command I take order from," and declared that Ateke had not been granted amnesty by anyone.
He could not confirm the number of casualties in Wednesday's attack on the NNPC jetty. More corpses were recovered from the scene yesterday. Three persons were initially confirmed dead by the JTF on Wednesday.
Gunmen nab A-G's father
Meanwhile, just hours after Pa Ebebi was released by his abductors, gunmen kidnaped the 91-year-old father of the Bayelsa State Accountant-General, Mr. Thomas Zidafamor.
Chief Simon Ebebi, the Alei (paramount ruler) of Aleibiri Kingdom in the Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State who was kidnapped penultimate Monday by armed gunmen at Aleibiri was handed over to his son, Deputy Governor Peremobowei Ebebi yesterday at Government House, Yenagoa.
His release was secured by members of the state chapter of the Niger Delta Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee led by Chief James Jephthah, the SSS and the police at the coastal settlement of Azuzuama in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state after nearly 10 days in captivity.
Although the deputy governor expressed gratitude to God over the release of his father, he lamented the traumatic experience the old man passed through while in captivity.
He said the kidnappers were making mockery of the Niger Delta struggle. Said he: "Well, we thank God he has been released. I am not happy but I leave everything to God. His health is stable but he is in a very traumatic state." He said no ransom was paid to the kidnappers.
Pa Anderson Zidafamor who had earlier escaped being kidnapped by gunmen prompting his son, the Accountant-General to relocate him to Yenagoa before his eventual return recently ostensibly for the yuletide, was abducted at about 7 p.m Wednesday and taken to an unknown destination.
The gunmen numbering about five were said to have invaded the riverine settlement in a speed boat and went straight to the home of their victim and whisked him away.
The invaders were said to have shot sporadically into the air to scare away the people.
Contacted, the Joint Task Force Commander in the state, Lt. Col Chris Musa, confirmed the incident.
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