Lagos — Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO) said the Joint Task Force (JTF)'s military adventure in Gbaramatu and other communities across the Niger Delta region is a declaration of war by the Federal Government on not just the Niger Deltans but also on all Nigerians.

It explained that the present activities of the JTF in Gbaramatu kingdom is uncalled for, adding that for a government that swears to defend the Constitution and provide for the security and welfare of the people; and for a government that only recently declared amnesty for militants, the government's action is hypocrisy of the highest order.

CLO, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Eneruvie Enakoko, explained that it had in the last one week or so, been watching with shock and disbelief, the JTF's military onslaught in the Gbaramatu community of Delta State on the orders of President Umaru Yar'Adua.

"We had held our peace, hoping that the government will quickly see the futility of such action in the name of rescuing hostages, and retrace its steps, but apparently, we had hoped in vain.

"At a time when high level authority seeks to silence opposition by equating the voices of dissent with disloyalty, we in the CLO have decided to speak against this military intervention because we agree with Dante that the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in the period of moral crisis maintain their neutrality.

"We have chosen to move against this avoidable carnage because our conscience leaves us no other choice. A time comes when silence is betrayal. And that time has come in relation to the Niger Delta question. The irony of it all is that innocent citizens rather than the targeted militants are the ones caught in the crossfire.

"We are confronted with a moral issue; it is a national issue and adequate steps must be taken to address the genuine demands of the people," the group said.

It, however, maintained that in order to end this nightmare, President Umaru Yar'Adua must stop all military campaign in Gbaramatu and other parts of the Niger Delta immediately; it also urged the president to declare a unilateral cease-fire with the hope that such action will create the necessary atmosphere for negotiation.