Monday Osayande
22 May 2009
Twelve soldiers are missing in action and the ongoing military campaign in the delta creeks will not end until they are found, Commander of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) code named Operation Restore Hope, Major General Bello Sarkin Yaki said in Warri yesterday.
He said the JTF was determined to fish out the kingpin of the militants called Government Ekpemukpolo, alias Tom Polo, who has been declared wanted by the Task Force.
The JTF commander said at a world press conference that the war in the creeks was not over. He said 12 of his men were missing in action and he threatened to use all means at his disposal to get them back "dead or alive". He said Tom Polo must give up the fight and submit himself to the military authorities.
"What I want the gentlemen of the press to be aware is that this operation is still on-going. We still have our colleagues, military colleagues who have been unprovokably attacked; some of them are still missing. We owe it a duty to find out whether they are alive to at least present the true situation to their loved ones. I want to make it categorically clear that we are not targeting Ijaw people. All we are targeting are people who have been responsible for the attacks, killing and forcefully kidnapping members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria", he said.
He said, "Gentlemen of the press, last time I was here, I made a statement that there was no hiding place for militants , those who have taken up arms against Nigerian citizens, those who are attacking people to please give peace a chance. And apparently, Mr. Tom Polo did not heed my advice that time. Then as I am talking to you now he is on the run and I want to say that Tom Polo, if you are looking at me in the face, please give yourself up, you can't win this war. You can run but you can't hide. Wherever you are we will catch you and we will kill you and will hold you responsible for the killing of Nigerian soldiers".
Last night, the BBC quoted displaced persons fleeing from the ongoing hostilities in the Niger Delta between the JTF and militants as having said that military helicopters and fighter jets have been bombing the area and that schools and other buildings in the area are seriously threatened by the assaults. The displaced persons, mostly women and children, said from their refugee camp in Ogbeja village near Warri that several people have been killed while many others have died of hunger.
One of the displaced persons said, "Our villages and houses have been destroyed. Pregnant women and children are in a very difficult situation. Many of us had to go through the rivers and other difficult routes just to escape the scene of the fighting. Our village is about one hour from here using canoes but the military have blocked the area. Those who were lucky to have escaped said they left several others behind and they are staying in the bush."
It was also said that the village head of Ogbeja village had been warned by the military against allowing journalists into the area. However, a military spokesman said they are only targeting militants who have been abducting oil workers and not civilians. He also denied the allegations that the military is targeting the Ijaw ethnic group.
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i will advise the militant to produce the body of the soldiers,and end the hostitility. figthting the govment will only worsen the case of the niger deltan people.they should try to achieve thiere agitatoins through dailogue.
all these military opersations are ridiculous african leaders are ready to sacrifice their poeple for a peace of bread offered to them by their masters. Stupid How comes a giant oil producer of oil (6th in the world) run out of fuel or fuel price sky rocketing. let MEND be a challange may be the gov't can change the policy I don't support the war , but the gov't is ridiculous
James Ibori was the governor of this state. During his time, Billions of petrol Dollar money was sunk in the state. He was currupt, and made no impact. He is an indegine.
NNDC was saddled with certain developmental responsibilities. Billions of petrol dollar money was sunk into it. Members of NNDC were all indegines.
Federal government in the past 10 years had sunk billions. All these money were stolen by the same leader of Niger Delta .. This does not exclude Executive Governors past and present, Chairmen of Local government in the states. These are the same people employing the service of the miscreants to preasure the Federal government to allocate more and more funds which have always gone under the drain.
Militants were remnants of criminals that were used by James Ibori to fight and won an illegitimate elections, he was also a miscreant during Abachas regime.
The criminal gangs are illitrates that have upturn a just struggle into a money making venture for themselves, and remained stooges of the likes of James Ibori and the gangs in government.
These miscreants should be stoped, not by the Federal government, not by the JTF, but by their irresponsible elders who encourages criminality in the name of struggle. This is because, at the end of time, their children, and great grand children will be the looser.
Biafra is instructive. Look at the possition of the Ibos today in the scheme of things in Nigeria since the civil war. While this is not commendable, any section of a whole (Federation) that attempted self determination in this manner is difficult to be trusted by others in future. Where is Ojukwu today???
I BELIEVE THIS IS THE WAR THAT WILL GIVE US INDEPENDENCE FROM NIGERIA. NIGER DELTA REPUBLIC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sorry to say this, Nigeri as country lacks a sincere leader,hence everything goes in this nation. take for intsance we call ourselves oil gaint, without a REFINARY that is working to capacity and we are talking of exporting crud oil and importing PMS,what about the rest of the residue? this is what the leaders shold be considering not all this talk on we are trying to see how to get fule across the country.
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