THE Nigerian Army has described as untrue the claim by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) that its members killed over 10 soldiers in two separate attacks in the Niger Delta on Wednesday.
But in a statement sent via e-mail to local and foreign media houses yesterday, MEND alleged that the Army razed Elemtombia community in Rivers State during its raid yesterday. The statement issued by Jomo Gbomo said: “Reports reaching us indicate that the Nigerian Army razed down the community of Elemtombia in Rivers State. This attack, we gathered, took place at about 1430 hrs today, Thursday, October 5, 2006.”
The militants claimed that no lives were lost as the villagers, in anticipation of the raid, had long abandoned their community.
The militants threatened that in the “light of this attack on a helpless community, we are at present considering reciprocal action against the military or oil installations.”
The 2nd Amphibious Brigade Public Relations Officer, Major Musa Sagir, denied that the military launched a major offensive against suspected bases of the militants inside the Niger Delta creeks.
Gbomo had stated on Wednesday that the recent hostility between the MEND and the military was sparked off by “nine gunboats and one helicopter gunship belonging to the Nigerian Army. In the ensuing firefight which lasted about one and a half hours, our units captured two gunboats, killing all occupants, nine soldiers.”
But Sagir debunked the claim, and insisted that no military personnel offshore was killed in the purported attack carried out by MEND.
Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, yesterday said that it was absolutely wrong for militants to be attacking and killing soldiers in pursuit of their objectives just as he disclosed that the seven expatriates kidnapped in his state would be released “very soon”.
The governor also said that the policy of kidnapping foreigners and oil workers was detrimental to the interests of the region.
But he counselled the military not to use force in pursuit of the killers of the soldiers. Since Monday, soldiers of the Joint Task Force charged with maintaining peace in the Niger Delta have been under attack by militants in the area.
“The military option for internal security is not the best. This is because the military (attitude) is to eliminate (problem). And I don’t think that’s what we are talking about. Military is for containing external aggression. But internal aggression – you use completely different methods. You have to dialogue. You have to know what the people want”, the governor said.
He added: “But it is absolutely, absolutely wrong to kill soldiers. For the first time, Akwa Ibom has suffered that fate. For the first time in the history of this country, militants came to my state and abducted seven expatriates. I have been told they will be released very soon. I thank God for the coming prompt release because honestly, it is objectionable, it is wrong. For if it is a way to draw attention to one’s plight, that attention has been drawn now. We should stop,” he said.
Attah spoke as he left the President’s office after participating in one of the series of meetings hosted by President Olusegun Obasanjo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Among those who participated in the meetings were the Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, Service Chiefs – Gen. Owoye Andrew Azazi (Army), Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye (Navy) and Air Marshal Paul Dike (Air Force); and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero.
Also yesterday, members of the National Assembly from Akwa Ibom State called for the immediate repealing of the Petroleum and Land Use Acts.
They said such a move would pave the way for new laws that would give the oil communities fair representation in oil exploration.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Anti-corruption and National Ethics, Essien Uduese, addressed the press on behalf of other lawmakers from Akwa Ibom State.