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Nigeria: 973 Killed in Ikwerre Crises, Don Tells ESO Panel
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Daily Trust (Abuja)
24 June 2008
Posted to the web 24 June 2008
Muhammad Ajah
Port Harcourt
Over 973 persons were killed in Ikwerre communities during the political upheavals that rocked Rivers State between 2003 and 2008, President General of Ikwerre Socio-Cultural Organization, Professor Otonti Nduka has said.
Professor Nduka in his testimony Monday in Port Harcourt told the Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission popularly referred to as the Eso panel that communities in the state lost heavily to the political crises, insisting that compensations must be paid to alleviate the sufferings of the affected families.
He alleged that about N5 billion worth of properties were destroyed in the Ikwerre communities during the crises.
According to him, cult groups were recruited to invade Ogbakiri, Ogbogoro and Rumuekpe communities.He blamed the Ateke Tom cult group, Deegbam and Deewell as well as Alhaji Asari led group for masterminding the killings in the Ikwerre kingdom.
The Ogbakor Ikwerre leader accused the oil firms for encouraging insurgency by paying ransoms to kidnappers and not implementing memoranda of understanding between them and host communities.
He queried what would be expected form other insurgents when companies like the SPDC, Agip and others pay off some militant groups to protect their facilities.
Prof. Nduka however recalled the return of relative peace to the kingdom as well as the state, maintaining that the attacks in the creeks should be checked by solving the problems of the people. He appealed to the state and federal governments to create jobs and empower the restive youths in order to practically curb hostilities in the region. He also charged oil firms and corporate bodies to stop paying ransom to kidnappers.
Meanwhile, the Justice Eso led panel has summoned the State commissioner for Information and a Sun Newspaper correspondent to appear before it over issues relating to the former governor, Dr. Peter Odili.
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The Commissioner was said to have made statements involving the former governor who testified before the panel in Abuja last week while The Sun correspondent had written on "Nemesis haunts Odili" in its Saturday edition.
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