Militants, soldiers in fresh clash

�Yes it is true that the so-called militants attacked one of our military locations and tried to kill our troops but we dealt with them and they sustained heavy casualties. We also captured many of them during the attack�
With this words, a senior officer of the Nigerian Military yesterday confirmed the attack on soldiers of the Joint Task Force for the Niger Delta code-named Operation Restore Hope along the Benin River, pointing out that �though some soldiers sustained injuries, we are yet to get the exact number of the militants killed or injured and captured.�
According to the source, �the militants actually initiated the attack because they thought they could over-run the military facility which is daring. But we want them to know that the presence of the military for security purposes in that area is to protect them as well as the nation�s assets.

�They should stop this attitude of trying to engage the Nigerian military because it is there to protect all of us including the militants. If they go too far, and take our understanding for granted, they will get more than they bargain for. The Nigerian Armed Forces dealt with a bigger problem that threatened the nation�s existence in the past. They should know that theirs will be too small to handle if they decide to take on the armed forces.�

Meanwhile, the issue of the hostages and security in the Niger Delta was the topic of a security meeting held for over three hours at the office of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Alexander Ogomudia yesterday. Present at the meeting were the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Martin Agwai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye, and Chief of Defence Intelligence, Maj. General Haladu Giwa.

Hostages dragged before Ijaw deity

Vanguard learnt that the trial of the hostages� Makon Howkins, Coydy Oswalt and Rospel Spell (Americans), John Hudspith and Shadety Senary (Britons), Feisal Mohammed and Semsak Mhadmhe (Egyptians), Anthony Santos (Filipino) and Arab Suwama (Thai)� was conducted by MEND leaders and the case was adjourned to between March 14 �15 for further hearing. It was not known whether the hostages pleaded guilty or not to the charges.
But Ijaw leader, Chief Clark, who briefed newsmen on the outcome of the meeting between Ijaw leaders and Governor Ibori on the kidnapping saga in the Escravos said the committee would go into action as one of the hostages was diabetic.

Also, security was beefed up at the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), Ekpan following intelligence report that members of MEND were planning to launch an attack on the company. There was uneasy calm at the company when Vanguard visited yesterday but security sources said they were not leaving anything to chance considering the sensitive nature of the refinery.

According to Chief Clark: �We believe strongly that these expatriates should be released. So a committee was set up, made up of five Ijaw and five persons representing government. The committee members were authorised to travel to these areas to find a way of releasing these expatriates within a short time. This is the reason why we met
�The Ijaw told His Excellency and his team which include the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan; Commissioner of Police, Mr. Udom Ekpoudom; Director, State Security Services, Mr. A. Adebayo; and the Senator representing Delta South, Senator James Manager that why we condemn the kidnapping, the boys were to a certain extent provoked by the actions of the army.

�It would be recalled or we observed from our own investigation that last Wednesday, the military attacked villagers unprovoked in their various villages from the air and from the ground. Secondly, last Thursday and Friday again, the attack continued. You know very well that it is not possible to fight the military. So the kidnapping is done as a shield to prevent the military from attacking them. This is what has happened.
�We also informed the governor and his team that we met recently in Yenagoa, that is the Federal Government�s representatives, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states representatives and so forth. We met and we said peace should be given a chance and for sometime, there should be truce for the decisions taken to be implemented. That was immediately after the release of the four hostages.

�But it is rather surprising, amazing and embarrassing that military should within four days, even if they were after bunkering activities that have been going on for over 20 years, and we know who are responsible for this bunkering. This is not the time for the military to strike. The action of the military came at a very wrong time. Mr. President has given orders that there should be no shooting. So while we condemn the action of the military, we appeal to the youths involved in the kidnapping to release them because one of them is very diabetic,� he said.
Chief Clark said the committee would work assiduously towards achieving the release of the hostages since the governor had assured that there would be no attack or shooting by the military either from the air or ground.

Reacting to the bombardment, yesterday, president of the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC), Chief Bello Oboko said: �Ijaw people cannot afford to lick their wounds, count their losses without doing anything to salvage their humanity and reclaim/revamp their creeks.

�Illegal bunkering is unfortunately a common feature in the corrupt Nigerian state. It is not peculiar to Okerenkoko, Warri South-West local government area. Never before have we seen this level of massive extra-judicial state security operations in response to bunkering anywhere in Nigeria. Even the vessel, African Pride, notorious for illegal bunkering in the Lagos sea port of Nigeria was not bombed,� he said.