Tompolo won’t surrender —MEND

This is happening just as the Police in Bayelsa State arrested a militant leader, Ken Nweigha, popularly known as Daddy Ken in Odi. Daddy Ken, incidentally was the co-ordinator of the state government-owned security outfit “Bayelsa Volunteers” in the Odi flank. His arrest was effected by a team of policemen led by the state Commissioner of Police, Udeka Onuoha backed by an Armoured Personnel Carrier.

On Tompolo, Jomo Gbomo said: “he has only relocated to Camp 5 annex. Why should he surrender? The criminals that ordered and carried out the killings of civilian children and women should surrender to the people for jungle justice”.

Commander of the JTF, Major General Sarkin Yarkin-Bello told newsmen on Monday that two officers and 16 soldiers of the Nigeria Army were missing in action (MIA) and Tompolo was needed for intelligence information on their whereabouts.

The uniform of one of the missing officers, a Lieutenant and the rifle of one of the soldiers were reportedly found in a shrine at Okerenkoko by the JTF.

Excerpts of interview with MEND:

Do we say that with the recent destruction of major trunk lines that MEND has not withdrawn from the battle in Delta state?

We only relocated from one camp to another. Every camp we occupy is never meant to serve as a permanent but a transit abode. This is all part of our training in guerrilla war tactics. Since the camps are not citadels to be defended, we just take our important belongings and move on.

The occupation of the abandoned camp has no military advantage for the military. The battle in Delta state is just beginning.

It was assumed that with the release of the last three hostages by MEND, the group was retreating from the battle, so why did you return the hostages if you are still fighting?

We want to face the military squarely. They have been using the issue of the hostages to commit acts of genocide against the impoverished civilian communities. To show their desperation, the JTF has been claiming they freed the men when we dropped them off.

But with the overrunning of Camp 5, Iroko camp and Opuye camp, will MEND really be said to be in contention in Delta state?

The abandonment of those camps is a blessing for the high command. It was becoming an embarrassment to have camps being turned into a thoroughfare for all and sundry. The camps began to lose their alertness and focus so now that it happened this way, the boys who have relocated will appreciate the advice we gave.

MEND claimed 11 more soldiers were killed at Oporoza but the JTF said it is not true, what is the evidence to prove you are right?

We carried out a precision ambush. We have taken responsibility and that is okay with us. The army always denies everything but since the men have families, the truth cannot be hidden for long.

Officially, the JTF says 12 of its soldiers are missing, information we have is that seven, including a Lieutenant Col were killed on May 13, how many soldiers really lost their lives on that day or what actually prompted the clash?

When the army admits that twelve of its men were killed, just multiply that by at least two. They were over twenty persons in total in the two gun boats that were sunk and all the occupants were killed.

The Lt. Col happens to be the son of a former Head of State. What prompted the clash was that on sighting the three gunboats approaching the area towards the festival, Tompolo was alerted but instructed that there should be no hostilities except the gunboats are watched closely. It was after the gunboats opened fire on our boys that they attacked them from the rear and flanks.

According to the JTF, it will not call off its Cordon and Search Operation until the missing soldiers are seen, what happened to the corpses of the soldiers that MEND claimed they killed on May 13?

The JTF is using that as an excuse to perpetrate its genocide against civilians. They are looting houses and want it to continue. The bodies of the men that died can only be recovered by divers and the third gunboat that managed to escape should be able to remember the location the fight took place.

Does the fact that MEND has fled from its camps in Delta not mean that it has lost the battle to the JTF?

If we were fighting a conventional war, the answer might be yes. But as far as ours is not a war of engagement then we are right on track.

Federation of Niger Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC) has accused MEND of overblowing its capability, declaring a war it cannot fight and making the JTF to bombard Ijaw communities, what is your take on this?

FNDIC is the reason this war was not finished and done with in the early 2006. They became short sighted and were only concerned about the Gbaramatu area and did not see the bigger picture. We have been vindicated today after the JTF action when we said the government should not be trusted and the oil industry should not be protected until justice comes to the entire region. Our objective then was to cripple the oil industry within a year.

Before now, MEND does not regard Camp 5 and others in Delta as being part of the struggle, have both groups settled now?

Camp 5 was among the original MEND make-up but at a point in time, the focus was lost and the place became infiltrated by politicians.

It was a Chinese philosopher who once remarked that “soft countries breed soft men, you cannot find in one soil luxurious fruits and fine soldiers too”. Fortunately, since the boys are natural fighters whose comfort zone has been replaced with the harsh reality that the government is not a friend to be trusted, we are now back on track.

Tompolo has fled and people are asking him to surrender to give respite to innocent women and children who are being killed by JTF, would MEND hand him over?

Tompolo has not fled in the sense of a fugitive. He has only relocated to Camp 5 annex. Why should he surrender to criminals? The criminals that ordered and carried out the killings of civilian children and women should surrender to the people for jungle justice.

Is it true that Tompolo was betrayed to the JTF by some Ijaw people because of the infighting within?

We doubt it. There is in-fighting everywhere even between government officials. It was only a matter of time before the attack because the government had never been sincere and the president was always in touch with him to help keep the oil flowing while they were preparing to take him out. Thank God they failed.

We cannot rule out that someone in the inside leaked certain information the same way someone inside the army advised him to leave the camp.

In MEND’s opinion, who is Tompolo in the struggle?

Tompolo is part of the original MEND. He was only misled by some politicians to maintain peace who eventually were rewarded by political appointments in Delta state. At one point, he began realizing that these local and federal politicians were not sincere.

All this while, we constantly asked him to be wary of them and not help create the false peace when underneath there was fire. When the attacks began, he contacted us and we embraced him immediately back to the fold.

Is it true that MEND has moved from its camp in Bayelsa state just like it has moved from Delta state at the moment to save itself from further pounding?

That is highly confidential and we cannot give answers to it.

You said the arms recovered by the JTF are not MEND’s, but, the task force claimed it was recovered from Camp 5, Iroko camp and Ijaw communities, beyond saying the guns showed by JTF were not from your camps, is there anything to prove them otherwise?

Go back to the CNN footage of 2006 and compare the type of weapons displayed with what is on the footage. They also displayed rusty Dane guns which we do not carry. Like we mentioned earlier, the army used that to cover the attacks on civilians and the failure of any military success.

Where does the ongoing fighting in the creeks leave the offer of amnesty by the FG to militants?

The amnesty offer is ambiguous and we have never taken it seriously. What is clear is that the government is swift to act when it comes to securing the oil flow more than anything else.

Many think what is happening now will take the struggle for emancipation to another stage, which level are we looking at?

The stage is set for an all-out war. The government has lost a liberal ally in Tompolo and that is a very very bad sign.

Militant leader arrested in Odi

After nearly four days of anxiety of possible invasion of their community by the JTF in search of militants, the people of Odi in the Kolokuma-Opokuma local government area of Bayelsa State yesterday heaved a sigh of relief following the arrest of one KenNweigha by the police.

One suspected militant was reportedly killed in the skirmish with the security operatives that stormed the community while three other suspects were also nabbed in the operation to rid Odi of undesirable elements.

The arrest of the alleged militant leader popularly called Daddy Ken by his loyalists, who incidentally is the coordinator of the state government owned security outfit “Bayelsa Volunteers” in the Odi flank was led by the state Commissioner of Police, Elder Udeka Onuoha backed by an Armoured Personnel Carrier.

The arrest of Ken Nweigha described as a chance event was sequel to the public outcry by the people and elders of Odi community pleading with the police authorities to help rid their community of some miscreants said to have infiltrated it with a view to preventing a repeat of the 1999 invasion by soldiers which led to total destruction of the community.

Parading the suspects at the State Police Command in Yenagoa, the Commissioner of Police, Onuoha said he had to personally visit the community in the early hours of yesterday following report that Odi women were demonstrating and that the community was in turmoil.

The commissioner noted that on reaching the community they were welcomed by over 500 protesting women who accompanied the police team to the palace of the traditional ruler where they were informed that one their son Ken Nweigha was habouring militants who fled from the ongoing crisis in Delta State and would not want the military to invade their community as was the case in 1999.

The protesters, he said, wanted the said Ken out of the community as well as the dismantling of his camp allegedly sited across their community.

Having listened to their plea and was returning to Yenagoa, the commissioner said he was taken aback when a Honda Civic salon menacingly sped past his convoy and that instead of proceeding, the vehicle halted and made a sharp turn when it skidded off the road.

He said as they made attempt to rescue the occupants of the vehicle, someone opened fire on them and the police replied fire for fire killing one gunman while others escaped into the forest with gunshot injuries.

Ken who was said to have escaped during the 2005 Port Harcourt Prisons break alongside other suspects standing trial over their alleged involvement in the killing of some policemen that led to the military invasion and destruction of Odi community was one of the occupants of the ill-fated Honda car.

Items recovered from the suspects include one berretta automatic pistol, 72 pieces of .9mm rounds of ammunition, five empty berretta magazine, several rounds of 7.2mm ammunition for AK 47 rifle, three machetes, one walkie-talkie and two chargers.

Answering questions from newsmen the suspect, Ken Nweigha admitted being in possession of the recovered items.

He however denied being a militant saying he was a victim of grand conspiracy by detractors he did not mention.

On the berretta pistol in his possession Ken said he bought it from someone he also refused to disclose.