Leadership (Abuja)
Osa Okhomina
23 July 2008
Yenagoa — Defence Headquarters in Abuja and the authorities of the Joint Military Task Force In Bayelsa State yesterday identified a militia Commander, Woki Abralafu, alias Kitikata as the leader of those responsible for the Thursday's killing of three soldiers and four civilians along the Obioku-Nembe waterways in the state.
The decomposed corpses of the slain soldiers and civilians were on Sunday discovered along the creeks of the area after five days of by the combined team of military personnel and the community representatives. The decomposed corpses have been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa.
Speaking with Leadership yesterday in Yenagoa, the Commander of the 78th Battalion of the Military Task Force, Lt. Col. Chris Musa, said though preliminary investigation has revealed the identity of the militia Commander involved, it has been established that he has the political backing of some persons within and outside the state.
He said the suspected militia leader, popularly known as Kitikata is an indigene of Odioma and a fugitive on the run for his involvement in the provocative 2005 crisis in Obioku-Nembe where three councillors were reportedly killed.
In his statement released via text messages to newsmen yesterday, Lt.Col.Chris Musa said his men and the four civilians were murdered in cold blood and that their bodies were hidden in the creeks, saying, "It was the stench that led us to the location. The killer is identified as one Woki Abralafu alias Kitikata. He hails from Odioma but was ostracised from the community after he killed some councillors after a peace talk between the two communities in 2005".
"The killing was one of the reasons that sparked off the Obioku-Odioma crisis.He immediately absconded to Rivers State and was reported to be in Fara's camp at Kula, Rivers State".
Already, the 78th battalion in Bayelsa has contacted JTF counterpart in Rivers State known as Operation Flush Out, saying, "All these are to arrest him and his cohorts. He is declared wanted together with anyone harboring him. He is being sponsored and protected by his god fathers, a well known militant sympathiser who has been agitating for the removal of the JTF troops in Nembe. The rule of law will prevail".
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