As the military onslaught against militants in the Niger Delta region enters its 13th day, the Joint Task Force (JTF) said yesterday that there would be no let-off in the fight in the creeks until its men abducted were rescued. Local and international rights groups and opinion leaders have been campaigning for the military to halt its bombardment of the communities because of growing humanitarian crisis. But the Maritime Component Commander of the task force, Commodore Azubuike Ajuonu, who spoke while receiving a delegation from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said the military would not shift its position in its search and rescue operation until the missing officers and men of the Nigerian Army abducted by the militants about two weeks ago were located. Twelve soldiers are still said to be missing in the wake of hostilities between the militants and JTF. In the meantime, in continuation of the crackdown on militants, JTF on Sunday attacked the Opoye Camp belonging to one of Tompolo’s lieutenants, Kingsley Opoye, just as the force also secured the release of the last three Filipino hostages kidnapped at the beginning of the military attack on militants 13 days ago. The rescued Filipinos are, however, undergoing medical treatment at an undisclosed hospital at present. Also, JTF said the onslaught on militants in the Niger Delta had been extended to Rivers State where “JTF troops carried out a dawn raid on suspected militants’ hideout at Abonnema town in Rivers State”. JTF spokesman, Col. Rabe Abubakar, in a statement said: “After fierce exchange of gunfire with the militants, one militant, Mr. Nana Sele, suspected to be their leader, was shot dead during the operations and others fled with gun shot wounds.” NEMA’s Head of Public Relations, Mr. Yushau Shuaib, in a statement last night quoted the JTF Maritime Component Commander as saying the army would flush out the criminal gangs responsible for the attack on military personnel and also put an end to frequent harassment of innocent people in the Niger Delta. Ajuonu said it was regrettable that the Nigerian soldiers who risk their lives to protect the nation’s territorial integrity were been hunted by criminal gangs in the Niger Delta just because the army had been tolerating them all these while. He said the excessive criminality of the youths was embarrassing and the blackmail, extortion and killing by militants must come to an end in order for peace and progress to reign in the region. While appreciating the efforts of NEMA in reaching the displaced with relief materials, Ajuonu told the community leaders who accompanied NEMA on the visit to talk to their youths to produce the abducted military personnel. “That is the only condition to ease the blockage in the riverine areas described as dens of hijacking, kidnapping, sea pirates, robbery and merciless killing of innocent Nigerians and foreigners,” he said. NEMA Director-General AVM Mohammed Audu-Bida (rtd) and his team had visited the internally displaced people’s camp at a primary school in Ogbe-Ijoh community in Warri South-west council where refugees thrown up by the recent crisis are kept. While supervising the distribution of relief materials brought in by trucks at the camp established by the agency, Audu-Bida said government would ensure the items reached the distressed especially women, children and the elderly through collaboration with the security personnel, state and local government officials. He said NEMA’s concern was not just about distributing the materials but ensuring that the displaced people were secured and reunited with their families as soon possible. Some of the displaced especially women had pleaded with the NEMA boss to intervene in ensuring that the JTF team allow them access to their communities. They said that inasmuch as NEMA’s gesture of relief materials and provision of social amenities in the camp was a welcome development, “home will always be home and better than life in the camp or other hideouts.” Items said to have been distributed included rice, beans, garri, salt, mattresses, wax material, children wears, gallons of cooking oil, rubber mats, buckets, cooking utensils, disinfectants, and construction of emergency toilets. The Director-General said the agency had to close a primary school in one of the area to establish a camp for the displaced, hungry and sick people and may open up more camps if necessary in areas worst affected by the crisis. Audu-Bida also sought the assistance of the task force in the areas of supplies of relief materials to displaced people in various communities and ensured the safety of their lives and properties. In the attack on Opoye Camp, which is in the vicinity of the war-ravaged Benikrukru, the Ijaw community destroyed on Saturday, the soldiers found the place empty as it had been abandoned before their arrival. However, the soldiers went on to bombard and destroy the camp. The camp is also in the vicinity of the Abiteye Flow station, belonging to American oil giant, Chevron Nigeria Limited, which has been attacked relentlessly in recent times by militants, a situation which forced the company to abandon the multimillion dollar facility due to continuous harassment. But the people of Benikrukru have petitioned the United Nations over the continued attack on their community by JTF. In a petition to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon signed by the Executive Chairman of Benikrukru community, Mr. Joseph Wuruyai, the community urged UN to call the Federal Government to order by ordering the stoppage of the “genocidal campaign” against Ijaw communities, saying Benikrukru does not have any problem with the military JTF or the militants. They wondered why the onslaught between JTF and militants should lead to death and untold hardship in their community. The people urged the UN to prevail on the Federal Gover-nment to halt the massacre of the Ijaw while also calling for the institution of a probe panel to look into the remote and immediate cause of hostilities between JTF and militants. But JTF Commander, Maj-Gen Sarkin Bello, had said the army was not waging any war against the Ijaw but was only out against those taking arms against the Federal Government. On the rescue of the last three Filipinos, the JTF spokesman said during the cordon and search operation conducted by the troops of JTF, Operation Restore Hope, at Oporoza community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State the three Filipinos were rescued. They are Enrico Arelano, Romeo Naclicar and Napoleon Emphasis. The security outfit, had so far rescued a total of 17 foreigners including Filipinos, Ukrainians and four Nigerians, who were held hostage by militants from Camp 5 and other neighbouring camps. Abubakar said: “It is pertinent to note that in all the communities searched by the JTF so far, large quantities of arms and ammunition, as well as hostages kidnapped by the militants, were discovered. Military hardware as well as nine hostages were also discovered in Camp 5, two from Okerenkoko while three were rescued from Oporoza in the early morning of today. “With the successes recorded so far in the course of this operation, the Task Force wants to debunk the allegation that its troops are targeting some individuals, or certain ethnic groups. “We conducted the operations in the most professional manner and the security outfit is only focusing on the areas where there are militants and their hideout where hostages were being kept. It is not a random operation and people should commend us for what we have done so far.” In a related development, JTF has acceded to the plea by the Delta State Government for a relaxation of the closure of some waterways in the state in order to allow unhindered passage of vital supplies to communities as well as offshore oil and gas workers. According to the Chairman of the 12-member committee set up for the rehabilitation of people displaced by the military campaign in the area, Mr. Kingsley Otuaro, only wooden boats or canoes would be permitted passage by JTF. Otuaro was speaking while receiving foodstuff, toiletries, beddings and other essential materials provided by the NEMA at Ogbe-Ijoh, the headquarters of Warri South-west Local Government Area, on Saturday. The task force said it secured the release of 14 hostages from various communities in the Gbaramatu Kingdom of Ijaw, but militant sources maintained that they (militants) voluntarily released the hostages in the interest of peace in the area following persistent entreaties particularly from well-meaning Ijaw leaders. However, the President of the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC), Chief Bello Oboko, said the release of the hostages in Oporoza “without battle” was a positive sign.
May252009