Ijaw people beg President Buhari as Nigerian army issues ultimatum

– Nigerian army asked Ijaw residents to produce militants, Tomolo

– Ijaw people appeal to President Buhari to stop invading their communities

The residents of Ijaw communities received ultimatum from the the Joint Task Force (JTF) to produce Niger Delta Avengers and Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo.

JTF similarly insisted that militants bombing oil and gas facilities in Delta and Bayelsa states must be stopped.

An Ijaw community leader and Chairman of Kokodiagbene Town Union, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, confirmed the development.

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He told Independent reporters that passengers’ boats were impounded and thoroughly searched as military invaded the communities in search for more militants.

He said: “As we are talking, no boat is coming in or going out. They have barred the people of Oporoza from fishing activities. The people cannot go out to get anything; they are intimidating the villagers that they must produce Avengers (Niger Delta Avengers) and Tompolo.

“Meanwhile, all the students, children and women are in the forest and there is a deliberate blockage of the waterways and food shortage is on the increase, military approach is not the best option; dialogue is the way.

“Any nation that continues years after years to spend more money on military defence rather than programmes of social upliftment is approaching a spiritual doom.”

An Ijaw leader to President Muhammadu Buhari to withdraw the army from Oporoza community and position them in a strategic locations to stop the Niger Delta Avengers from further vandalism of pipeline and oil facilities.

“The communities are deserted as more troops have been deployed to Oporoza and the surrounding hamlets, creating fears in the people,” he added.

“We welcome the military because of the activities of NDA and pirates. We believe the military will stem the tide of the activities, but the humiliation and intimidation of innocent citizens is unacceptable and unconstitutional.”

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“The NDA do not reside in Gbaramatu. They have adopted guerilla tactics to perpetrate their evil acts. The people are living in abject poverty and the Nigerian state should not add more hardship on them.

“The ecosystem is destroyed by the bombing, but the way the military is going, it will be difficult for the people to cooperate with them. The people cannot be tortured and you expect them to give you information. It is not possible.”

Nigerian military in the early hours of May 28 invaded Oporoza, the traditional headquarters of Gbaramatu kingdom in search for Tompolo.

Meanwhile, the highly influential ex-Niger-Delta militant, Tompolo has denied links with a group that attacked an oil pipeline in the Niger Delta region to sabotage the government.

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