The Chief Commander of the Joint Task Force (JTF) serving in the Niger-Delta, Sarkin Bello, yesterday denied an alleged attack by a militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta (MEND) on some soldiers of the task force.
MEND, in a statement released in the early hours of Thursday, claimed to have clashed with soldiers serving with a JTF unit in Ogulagha, Delta State, and killed some of them.
This is coming nine months into the amnesty declared by the late President, Umaru Yar’Adua, to address militancy in the region which has brought about cessation of armed conflicts and kidnaps in the region. While the Abia State axis of the oil region remains the most vulnerable since the expiration of the presidential amnesty on October 4, 2009, there have been pockets of low profile abductions in Rivers State for cash.
But the MEND claim would mark the first clash between soldiers and Delta militants since the amnesty programme enters the second phase of rehabilitation of ex-militants.
A statement from MEND’s spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, said:
“there was a bloody confrontation at about 0030 hrs today, June 10, 2010, between our fighters and men of the military JTF after one of our patrols ran into two gunboats of the JTF at Ogulagha in Delta State. A fire-fight ensued, which lasted for about 30 minutes. None of our fighters were injured, but reports reaching us indicate the JTF lost 4 soldiers with an unspecified number injured.”
Silly agenda
Mr. Bello, in a telephone conversation, however, faulted the allegation. He called it propaganda by a mischievous body that is seeking headline news. Mr. Bello, a general with the Nigeria Army, said “there is no iota of truth in the allegation. They (MEND) are just using the press to drive a silly agenda.
“There was no clash whatsoever. They will be saying they did this…..they did that, all which is not true. If you know anyone in Ogulagha, please get in touch with them and confirm if their claim is true and they affirm to you that nothing like that happened.
“Nothing like that has happened, I can assure you, and I hope the press and Nigerians will not fall for this cheap propaganda from the militants,” he added.
In a very emotional and high-toned voice, the general went further to state that “nobody dares touch my men.”
Making reference to the military onslaught of Gbaramatu kingdom, in May 2009, after some officers of the JTF were killed by some militants, Mr. Bello said, “it’s being over a year when they killed soldiers, and they know what we did to them. Nobody, I repeat, dares attack JTF soldiers.”
He said since he assumed the office of the JTF commander in 2007, he has being compiling all the statements released by this group to the media.
MEND reacts
However, MEND’s spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, said Mr. Bello is not telling the truth:
“As a Nigerian, I am sure you know the man is lying. He has to give the impression that all is peaceful, isn’t that so? We mentioned the time and location and the number of JTF gunboats. That is enough. We were only defending ourselves after they opened fire first.
“Do not expect them to admit any attack, but I can assure you that the next wave of attacks will be difficult to conceal or deny.”