Hundreds of women and children trapped in the jungle, following the on-going military operations in the creeks of Delta State yesterday pleaded with to President Umaru Yar Adua to save them from possible death.
The trapped victims complained of starvation, hunger and lack of access to the essentials of life. They are worried that shadows of death lurk behind them, unless the JTF opens up the blocked waterways for humanitarian aids.
Community leaders and the few who escaped from the war made the appeal in interviews with The Nation on behalf of the trapped victims yesterday.
Their plea is coming amidst yesterday’s renewed aerial and land bombardment of Benikrukru and Duabriye in Gbaramatu Kingdom of Delta State.
Midday yesterday, the JTF renewed the pounding of Ijaw communities. Benikrukru and Duabriye in Gbaramatu Kingdom are the latest targets……………………….
The development came even as militants released three remaining Filipino hostages in their possession on Saturday morning. The rescued Filipinos, it was gathered, were later taken by the JTF to Escravos, from where they were airlifted to the Oil City of Warri.
In the latest attack, it was gathered that about five gunboats carried out attacks on several communities, including Benikrukru and Oporoza, which had earlier been raided from air and sea by JTF soldiers.
Mrs Ankio Briggs, an official of Ijaw Republican Assembly, IRA told The Nation that hundreds of people are trapped in the crossfire. ‘We used to talk to them on their cell phones, but now there is no access to them. They no longer have energy to charge their phones. Several of the women are pregnant. Two women, Mrs Benibo and Mrs Angela Okuribo delivered babies in the jungle on Friday. They could not locate their husbands and their siblings. Many more pregnant women are trapped. They have no access to healthcare, they have no access to water, no food and the JTF has not allowed us to reach these people. They are dying of hunger and starvation. We fear they might starve to death,’ Briggs told our correspondent.
A middle-aged mother of six, Mrs. V. Piniki told our correspondent that she and several others are holed up in Jones Creek for several days now since the fighting started.
“As I am talking to you now, several persons like me are here, we do not have food to eat, no clothes to wear and we are exposed to rain, cold and sunshine. The JTF is not allowing anybody to pass through, be it women, children or old persons. They have completely blocked the waterway.
“Only this (Friday) morning we have been told that the creek from where they have been carrying persons to Sapele has just been blocked by soldiers. There is no going in or coming out now and we are left to our fate.
“I have to take risk to come to the open river to make this call because there is no network where we are hiding. I felt that it is better trying to survive by making this call than waiting for death to take us all there.
To, please tell the President (Umar Yar’Adua) that those of us dying here are not militants. We have not seen guns in our lives, we are ordinary women who travel through the creek to sell commodities and makes our daily living.”
Mrs. Piniki, who was connected to our correspondent through her daughter (names withheld), further revealed that the children and aged among them are in dire need of medical care.
Another victim, who sought anonymity said she ‘bribed her way to escape the military onslaught.’ She told The Nation: ‘Our people are dying. Young and old women are involved. Children are there, crying from day to night. We are not allowed to fish, no water, no food; many have stayed without food for so many days and night. Some have really died from this torture.’
Yesterday, scores, including an octogenarian, were feared dead when gunboats rolled into Benikrukru community shortly before midday.
Daubriye, a tiny fishing community less than five metres from Benikrukru was used to launch the military operation in the community at about 12:05pm.
It was gathered that an aged man was plunged to his death death while escaping with several others from Daubriye when the shooting started.
“He was old and as we were running out, he slipped on the wooden gangway and plunged into the swamp. He died immediately, mostly from shock because he was not shot,” our source added.
Sources from Kokodiagbene Community, located opposite Benikrukru told our correspondent that the community was later set afire by the JTF, adding, “There is smoke everywhere now.
“An old man, Pa Zuwegha died from the first attack and as I am talking to you now, the JTF is crossing over to Kokodiagbene, which is adjacent to Benikrukru,” our source added at about 2pm.
Meanwhile, The Nation on reliably gathered that the last three hostages being held in the area by militants where released in the early hours of yesterday at Oporoza.
Although JTF’s spokesperson, Colonel Rabe Abubakar claimed that the hostages were rescued by troops, it was learnt that some militants dropped them off on the jetty shortly before the break of dawn and alerted the JTF of their gesture.
Colonel Abubakar, in response to our inquiry, said, “three more Filipinos were rescued by the JTF yesterday day night.”
It was gathered that the decision to return the foreigners followed plea by top Ijaw leaders who are seeking means to end the operation by JTF, which has entered its second week.
Also yesterday, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) Jomo Gbomo Friday said none of the weapons displayed by the JTF were recovered its camps.
The movement says it “watched in amusement the military Joint Task Force press conference where they claimed military successes and capture of weapons in a bid to hoodwink the media”
Gbomo said except for those who wish to be deceived, the fact is that none of the weapons displayed were recovered from our camps as claimed, and stressed that “Our standard issue is the AK47 Assault Rifle and none was displayed”.
“Instead rusty Dane guns used by hunters and old machetes and other weapons taken from God knows where were displayed”.