Napoleon Ehiremen
5 August 2008
Warri — Barely three days after a deadly clash between the Joint Task Force (JTF) and militants in Bomadi area of Delta State, soldiers yesterday raided alleged hide-out of the militants in Agge, Ekeremor local government area of Bayelsa state.
The invasion left 500 homeless and 600 indigenes of the area missing.
The Agge community chairman, Mr. Austin Korus, said the soldiers were on a reprisal attack following last Saturday's clash between militants and the JTF troops at Bomadi.
He said: "As at 12 noon, the community was still burning with over 500 people rendered homeless and their sources of livelihood totally ruined. He added that the whereabout of over 600 persons is yet to be established."
Korus said the military deployed gun boats into the community around 6.00am and wrath havoc on innocent residences of the area.
Daily Champion gathered that residents have since fled, after several houses were burnt down by the angry soldiers who combed the riverine community in search of the perpetrators of last Sunday's attacks on the military.
During the said attack, one woman was reportedly killed by a stray bullet while two gun boats belonging to the JTF were seized, and another was seriously damaged by the militant youths. No arrest has been made.
Contacted, JTF Commander in Bayelsa State, Lt. Col. Chris Musa, said the invasion was aimed at arresting the perpetrators of last weekend's attack on his men.
Musa said the perpetrators of the dastardly act which claimed the life of one woman reportedly came from Agge community, adding that the raid was aimed at fishing them out.
It would be recalled that the JTF commander for the Niger Delta Zone, Brigadier General Wuyep Rimtip while commenting on the various attacks on his men, had warned against any further reprisal attacks.
Rimtip had condemned the development and warned the perpetrators to discontinue with actions; otherwise the military would be left with no option than to pay back, fearing that it would be disastrous.
On yesterday's attack, Wayep Rimtip said that he was yet to get details of the incident, as he has not been able to establish contact with his troops in the area.
He however promised to clear the air on the issue as soon as he gets detail of the incident.
Only last week, group of militants operating in the Niger Delta had threatened to make the area ungovernable if the JTF fails to soft pedal on its hard stance on illegal bunkering in the area.
The group, which called itself the club of illegal bunkerers after a meeting in the creek, resolved to resume attacks on oil facilities if the present stance of the JTF on illegal bunkering was not softened.
The meeting which was allegedly chaired by a prominent militant leader, Stanley Opilowei in his camp located in the creeks, was attended by all those involved in illegal bunkering activities in the area. The group also expressed displeasure at the stand of their representatives in government and that of the Delta state governor, who they alleged was playing a double standard.
Sources said the group was particularly disturbed by the rising profile, unrelenting and uncompromising attitude of the JTF commander, Brig Gen. Wayep Rimtip toward the war against illegal bunkering in the region.
It would be recalled that on assumption of duty as the commander of the JTF, Wayep Rimtip stated emphatically that he is not in the Niger Delta to aid and abet bunkering but to stop the illegal business.
He had vowed to send bunkerers out of the region by crippling their activities and make the place unfriendly for their business.
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