Troops invade Ijaw communities in Delta State looking for militants who blew up pipelines

SOLDIERS have stepped up operations across Ijaw communities in the Gbaramatu Kingdom of Delta State in response to the recent blowing up of oil pipelines by militants protesting the indictment of one of their leaders Government Ekpemupolo popularly known as Tompolo.

 

Last week, armed youths took over the streets of Warri South West Local Government Area in Delta State, blowing up strategic oil pipelines in reaction to recent court order calling for the arrest of Tompolo. He had been invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to answer charges relating to supply contracts he was awarded by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

 

Tompolo, however, declined to attend the EFCC's office, prompting the commission to obtain a court order authorising his arrest. With Ijaw youths resorting to violence in response to what they see as victimisation, there is a threat of militancy returning to the Niger Delta as troops have reacted to their actions with force.

 

Already, Tompolo has written to President Muhammadu Buhari, alleging that top members of his All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa and Delta states were responsible for the vandalisation. He has accused them of wanting to get him indicted over his refusal to join the party.

 

However, Major General Alani Okunola, the commander of the military joint task force (JTF) known as Operation Pulo Shield in the Niger Delta, said his men were closing in on those who blew up the pipelines. He vowed that JTF would fish them out.

 

Confirming the invasion, Moses Yabrade, the chairman of Okpelama, an Ijaw town in Gbaramatu Kingdom, said that soldiers stormed his community in the midnight of Saturday, breaking houses. Apparently, the soldiers warned leaders of some of the communities to produce the militants and as a result some riverside dwellers are fleeing their communities because the soldiers warned that they would return.

 

One community leader said: “The soldiers said they would come back and nobody wants to wait for their visit knowing what happened when they bombarded our communities in 2009.”

 

Major General Okunola, who led his troop to inspect one of the blown up pipelines at Egwa II community in Warri South West, said the army would hold community leaders in whose domain such bombing took place responsible for any act of sabotage in their area. He added that the federal government would do all it can to bring the saboteurs of the national assets to book as they were already closing in on the criminals.

 

According to Major General Okunola, from henceforth, security agencies would enforce the law banning the use of outboard engines with 200 HP and above. He said the federal government would not condone any act of sabotage in the country, noting that it would deal ruthlessly with those behind the dastardly act.