Nigeria: JTF, Militants in All Out War!

Original Post Date: 2009-05-18 Time: 20:00:04  Posted By: Jan

By Emma Amaize

GBARAMATU community in Delta State was at the receiving end of severe pounding from the Joint Task Force (JTF) on Friday following clashes between soldiers and militants. Already, the skirmishes have claimed a yet to be determined number of lives from both sides including a hostage, one of the 15 foreigners seized by the militants.

The development ran counter to the security and peace agenda of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. Investigations by Sunday Vanguard, however, showed that the incident, which left sour taste in the mouths of many people, was unfortunate and avoidable, but, as far as the Delta Waterways Security Committee (DWSC), the agency set up by Uduaghan to maintain peace on the waterways in the state and the JTF are concerned, the peace process is very much on course. The trouble-shooting organ has deployed its men to the creeks to persuade the warring youths to simmer down and has called for restraint on the part of the security agencies and other stakeholders. In this report, we tell the story of the incident.

Mutual understanding and suspicion: The boasting in recent months by Uduaghan that there is peace in Delta State was borne out of the consultations and continuing dialogue process the state government had with the freedom fighters in

the state. And the compromises reached brought about a reign of peace in the state for almost two years to the extent that a militant leader in Niger-Delta, who is based in the state, popularly known as Tompolo, is assisting the government and the Delta Waterways Security Committee in ensuring there is peace in the state.The JTF, on several occasions in the past, had commended the state government for the peace model that is in place in the state while other eminent Nigerians asked other state governors in the Niger-Delta to emulate the Delta example. Uduaghan, who is not hiding the fact that he brought the model from Northern Ireland after the Warri crisis, talked about the peace in the state at the recent first economic summit of the South-South governors at Calabar.

While other states in the region were boiling, Delta State was relatively peaceful and the JTF carries out its duties in the state without molestation, except for occasional brushes with unrepentant bunkers and other criminals. The top commanders of the task force know the said militant leader and his “territories” in the state and its troops pass some of them during their escort duties in the creeks. Sometimes, they fired friendly gunshots when they pass

the area to announce their presence or stop to exchange pleasantries. There is a general understanding that the state government has been able to make the armed youths to relax in their Niger-Delta agitation and allow oil companies to operate, which has led to an increase in the oil production figures in the state, but, be that as it may, both the JTF and the militants were mutually suspicious of each other.

How it snapped: When the commander of the newly restructured JTF, Major General Sarki Bello, came on his maiden official visit to the JTF base in Effurun, Delta State, newsmen asked him if he had heard of the name, Tompolo, he said he had. Pressured on why it had been difficult for the task force to rein him in, he said the newsmen should watch and see whether he was going to compromise.

The JTF boss response was not to say that he would launch attack on Tompolo but it signified that he was not prepared to compromise with any militant leader. All this while, the major problem the JTF was handling in the state was oil bunkerers and their illegal crude oil refineries, but, on Wednesday, May 13, the unexpected happened. Militants and JTF troops clashed, leaving at least seven soldiers unofficially dead, up to 10 injured. One of its gunboats was sunk and another allegedly captured.

The Land Component Commander of the task force, Brigadier-General Rimtip, and the coordinator of the Joint Media Campaign Centre (JMCC), Colonel Rabe Abubakar, in an interview with Sunday Vanguard in Warri, said that the troops

were going on escort duty when they were ambushed by suspected militants from Camp Five. Rimtip, who was visibly angry, swore, in the hot afternoon meeting, that soldiers were not the aggressor in the Wednesday debacle and

challenged anybody who said his men fired the first shot to come out. But one of the militant leaders told Sunday Vanguard the JTF was standing truth on its head. He said the task force was testing its might against the militant group and opened fire simultaneously on Camp Five and its satellite camp, Iroko, without provocation.

“Our boys were taken unawares. They were not prepared for any confrontation with the JTF, they had been passing our camp before, I mean Camp Five and they know we are there, we had agreed to the peace process by Governor Uduaghan and the Federal Government, but, have not dropped our arms yet because we are watching to see how ready the government is.

They have announced amnesty but there is nothing concrete about it yet. So, we were taken aback when the JTF went into camp at Iroko, which is not their normal route and they opened fire there just at the same time that another batch descended on Camp Five, our people had to respond”, he said. Continuing, he said, “If it were before, when they shoot to make us know that they are passing or just to rattle us, our boys would not reply them but this time, it was obvious to us that they came for war, which was why we responded to defend ourselves. They were even lucky that not many people were in camp that day, if not, none of them would have escaped alive”.

Findings on reason for shootout: Findings by Sunday Vanguard showed that the JTF authorities did not give any command to its troops to open fire on Camp Five or any of its locations in the state, but, overzealousness on the part of some soldiers gave a wrong signal to the militants that the soldiers had come to attack them. One, the Iroko camp is not in the normal route of the JTF and they found it strange to see the JTF burrowing into that area.

Neither the JTF nor the militants have owned up that its side fired the first shot, but, what is clear from our investigations is that there was a mistaken reading of the intention of the JTF. This much Rimtip confided to Sunday Vanguard when he said the task force had no reasons to raid Camp Five and, in any case, if it wanted to raid a militant camp, it would not be with two gunboats. But our source in the militant axis maintained it was the JTF that started the fight.

Kidnap of 15 foreigners: Even though the JTF has not officially admitted that it recorded any death in the encounter, a competent source confirmed the death of at least seven soldiers to Sunday Vanguard. The heavy casualties recorded by the task force, was infuriating to the commanders, and while, publicly, Abubakar said the JTF was not going to carry out a reprisal attack, the fear is everywhere that the task force would soon strike. Most residents of the riverine communities near the hot spots have fled their homes and soldiers have been patrolling the waterways since Wednesday. Claiming, however, that the JTF attacked fishing camps in some communities, killing no fewer than eight persons and were also planning to carry out further attacks, the militants hijacked a vessel with its entire crew of 15 foreigners to act as human shield. Another ship was later hijacked by militants.

Confirming the two incidents, the JTF spokesman said, “In their bid to continue to perpetrate their criminal activities and to portray the oil-rich region as unsafe for viable economic activities, suspected group of militants from Camp Five led by Tompolo in Delta State, has forcefully hijacked a CM Spirit NNPC chartered tanker while sailing to Warri to discharge some condensate today, May 13, 2009”. He added, “The militants hijacked and diverted the tanker which was chartered by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) to deliver condensate to Warri Port”. He further stated that the tanker was hijacked around Chanomi Creek and that the crew and the captain of the tanker had been taken to unknown location around the Camp Five area. Abubakar stated that this action by the militants is against the general interest of the public, especially in the face of the lingering fuel scarcity. He also said that these ungodly acts were against the tenet of emancipation of the Niger- Delta, adding, “This is criminality in its entirety which must not be condoned”.

Am reaching out to everybody- Uduaghan

The Wednesday gun battle in Delta state actually came as a surprise to many because the state has been relatively peaceful and there was no cause for the clash. Governor Uduaghan was taken aback like any other citizen of the state when he spoke to Sunday Vanguard less than hour after the exchange of gun fire started. He wanted to know what the problem was exactly; as he was sure he has good machinery on ground for peace in the state. At that stage, it was not clear to Sunday Vanguard why there was shoot-out. But minutes later, information started filtering in. A top militant called Sunday Vanguard to alert him that the JTF invaded Camp Five and that the battle was on as he was speaking to us. It was gathered that the governor got to know about the development the moment it started through his numerous security contacts in the creeks but what was still not clear was the cause of the clash. He told Sunday Vanguard on Wednesday, “I have been on top of it since morning, reaching out to everyone to remain calm”.

Encounter with Rimtip: The coordinator of the JMCC, Abubakar told Sunday Vanguard he was not aware of any invasion

of Camp Five by the JTF when we called him soon after the clash started and promised to get in touch with his bosses. True to his assurance, he called later, saying Rimtip was on the line to speak to Sunday Vanguard. The JTF land component commander confirmed there was a clash but said the militants were the aggressor. He insisted on a face-to-face meeting with our reporter thereafter. Sunday Vanguard obliged him but he still kept much of the information to himself and wanted the reporter to reveal his own source to him, a thing that no credible newshound would do. The meeting ended abruptly but not without a gripping handshake with our reporter before he left to attend to another meeting. He actually excused himself from one to attend to Sunday Vanguard in the office of another officer.

Propaganda and counter propaganda: As stated earlier, Sunday Vanguard got the report of the incident right from one of the combatants on ground, but if it thought it was just a happenstance, as Delta State has been comparatively peaceful for basically two years now, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta (MEND) upped the ante when it sent out a mail some hours after, saying, MEND camps in Delta State were under heavy attacks. He said all freedom fighters in the region had been placed on red alert. In an online statement by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, the group said, “At about 0930 hours today, May 13, 2009, the Nigerian armed forces launched an unprovoked attack on two major MEND camps in Delta State hoping to overwhelm them with the element of surprise.

“Unfortunately for the raiders, we were waiting for them. A bloody battle is on-going and two gunboats belonging to the army have already been sunk by mines with several casualties on the side of the army. All freedom fighters in the Niger Delta have been placed on alert to defend their positions and unleash a horrible toll on the oil industry and the Nigerian economy. “The insincere government had hoped to use its so-called amnesty offer to deceive the Niger Delta people and then strip the region of its ability to defend itself. Oil companies operating in the region are advised to evacuate their staff within the next 24 hours to avoid them being part of the statistics of an emerging civil war. Updates on the conflict will follow”.

Special commandos

The JTF account of the incident was that its men were ambushed, but the MEND, in a statement, 24 hours later, claimed, “At exactly 0200 hours on Thursday, May 14, 2009, special commandos from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) launched pre-emptive simultaneous attacks on two military Joint Task Force marine bases in Delta state in response to a planned punitive invasion on some protesting oil communities. Overall, five gun boats and various support vessels have been destroyed in one night thereby confirming the success of Operation Pearl Harbor. The resistance was surprisingly weak after many soldiers caught napping abandoned their positions and fled.

This cowardly or solidarity act made it easier for our astonished fighters to over-run the bases in a shorter time than anticipated. As we begin stripping the oil industry naked of an unreliable cover, oil workers are advised to don the cloak of common sense and evacuate all oil facilities in the Niger Delta before the arrival of an imminent hurricane. Considering the extension of time plea by some oil companies, we are extending our quit deadline by another 48 hours to enable complete staff evacuation. Effective 0000 hours on Saturday, May 16, 2009, the entire Niger Delta region will be declared a no-fly zone to helicopters and float planes operating on behalf of oil companies.”

It’s all lies – JTF

MEND’s claim of attacking JTF’s two marine bases and destroying five gun boats in addition to some support vessels angered the task force, which took the inquiries from the press on the matter as a comic story. Abubakar called Sunday Vanguard up to four times on Thursday to state that there was no such attack and destruction.

His position, “This is to inform the press that there was no attack on our bases by 0200hrs by militants; therefore, the issue of destroying five JTF gunboats should not arise. An attack had to take place before you can begin to talk of what were destroyed or not, as such the statement by MEND or any other group was not only baseless but was unfounded, as there is no iota of truth in that shameful and unprovoked false release.

“Nevertheless, it is a good development, in the sense that, they are now telling the public both nationally and internationally, that they are the aggressors of all attacks on our locations and other unpatriotic acts in the past and present. They are also showing the true colour of what they are. This statement is one among other propaganda they have been using to claim to be on top of the situation, in actual sense, it was not so.

One wonders what they hope to achieve by engaging in this campaign. Is it to portray the region as volatile, despite the relative peace we are enjoying or is to champion their so called struggle through criminalities like this, or is it campaign against their own country for their own interest? The JTF urges the general public, particularly the expatriates to disregard the faceless threats by MEND and go about their businesses as it will continue to do it best in discharging its duties and would defend itself as provided for in its mandate. It is pertinent to state that, the

JTF has never ransacked or destroyed any community in the cause of its assignment. More so, some communities have

severally written to the JTF for protection which we obliged, as such, it will not engaged in any form of ransacking because we are to provide security and put smiles on the faces of the citizens of the oil -rich region and cannot be seen turning around against them. We also urge them to be stakeholders in moving our great nation forward for our betterment”.

In defence of JTF!

Before the response by the JTF, a dependable militant leader in Delta State who was contacted by Sunday Vanguard said, “There was no attack on military bases in the state.” Also, the president of the Federated Niger-Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC), Chief Bello Oboko, called to say that there are no MEND camps in Delta State and so, it was wrong for the MEND to say that MEND camps in the state were attacked. He also stated that there was no time MEND fighters were put on alert in the state because of the clash between some people, who were defending attack on their communities and the JTF. Oboko pointed out that Uduaghan had adopted the right approach of dialogue and engagement in tackling the issue of militancy in the state and the JTF should not insist on the use of force, as it would not solve the problem. He said the existing peace in the state should be allowed to thrive.

Delta Waterways wades in: Delta Waterways Security Committee has stepped into the matter. The committee dispatched some of its officials to the trouble spots on Wednesday to meet with the combatants and get them to drop their arms and let dialogue prevail. The committee is also reaching out to the JTF to find a solution to the crisis. In a press statement, last Wednesday, it said, “The attention of the Delta Waterways Security Committee (DWSC) has been drawn to recent disturbances on the waterways of the state, involving the Joint Task Force (JTF) on the Niger-Delta and some armed youths in parts of the state.”

According to the statement, signed by the secretary, Mr. O. P. Origho, “The DWSC has worked to maintain peace in the state since it was inaugurated on May 31st, 2007 and appeals to all those concerned to drop their arms and allow peace to reign.” According to him, “The Committee has instituted investigation into the incident and also drafted official to the creeks to meet with the angry youths and Communities to persuade them to embrace dialogue. There has been remarkable peace in the state for about two years now and the State Government wants it to be sustained. We also call on the Federal Government and the JTF to exercise restraint and pursue the on-going peace process to the fullest. It is also our request that the seized CM Spirit Vessel and the crew should be released”, the committee stated.

Chairman, security sub-committee of the Delta Waterways, Chief Dennis Otuaro, maintained, in a chat with Sunday Vanguard: “It is an aberration for the JTF to be using force to solve the Niger-Delta problem in Delta state, knowing the mileage the state government has made through the use of dialogue.” He said the damage suffered by the JTF when it decided to use force on militants instead of the peaceful approach of the state government should have been a signal that the use of arms and ammunition was not the best, but, information at his disposal indicated that the JTF wanted to carry out a reprisal attack that may endanger the peace process in the state. “I think all sides should embrace consultation, compromise and dialogue, which is what, has brought peace to the state. The JTF cannot fight it alone, it has cooperated and listen to other stakeholders too. No matter what has happened, I don’t see it as a threat to the existing peace in the state. The whole thing I want to say is unfortunate and an aberration because the state and federal government have used compromise and dialogue to get to the stage we are today and I don’t see why the use of force should be encouraged, particularly as the militants have been granted amnesty and the people are waiting for the details”.

Clark, Ekiyor, Kuku, others react: The response to the crisis has been one way. Ijaw leaders and groups are lamenting the attack on Ijaw communities, by the JTF and requesting the Federal Government to call it to order. Ijaw leader and former federal commissioner for information, Chief Edwin Clark, in a press conference on Thursday, in Warri, called on the Federal Government to urgently investigate the immediate cause of the shoot-out between operatives of JTF and militants around Okerenkoko community in the Escravos River area of Delta State on Wednesday.

He said with the enduring peace prevailing in the state, the soldiers are not happy, adding that some of the bad ones must have provoked the recent crisis that has consumed lives from both sides.

Clark said he was invited to Oporoza to chair the Amaseikumo Festival, one of the ancient traditional celebrations of peace, unity and prosperity in Gbaramatu kingdom but Uduaghan had to cancel the ceremony because of the enormity of the clash between the militants and the JTF. He appealed to the Federal Government to inform the JTF of its declaration of peace and intention to develop the area because any attempt to act to the contrary by the JTF would, definitely, prolong the peaceful development in the area, which the government was looking for, as further arms conflict would definitely affect the economy of the country. The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) condemned the attack on Ijaw enclaves by the JTF. The national president, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard on phone, yesterday, said the JTF was on a mission of wiping out Ijaw communities and it chose a time President Umaru Yar’Adua and Vice President Goodluck Jonathan were outside the country to invade Ijaw areas.

He wondered why the task force was attacking Ijaw communities or those it alleged to be militants when the Federal Government had already announced amnesty for them. Ekiyor said the IYC initiated the closure of camps by militants and grant of amnesty to them by the Federal Government to facilitate the peace process, adding that the JTF does not want peace in the region because it was allegedly benefitting from the crisis situation. Also speaking separately to Sunday Vanguard, the secretary general of the IYC, Engineer Udengs Eradiri frowned at what he termed unprovoked attack on Ijaw communities by the JTF, which “intends to continue the hostility to justify their stealing of public funds in the name of security vote”.

Release of hostages

The 15 persons that were seized by the militants were said to be in good condition as at Thursday, and it was likely that they would continue to hold them and the vessels until Delta State governor, who the militants prefer to take his admonition, comes around to tell assure them that Ijaw communities would not be attacked.

JTF retaliates: But it did not happen as they envisaged, as the JTF, which earlier ruled out a reprisal attack, deployed helicopter and jet bombers as well as gunboats to some Ijaw communities, Friday. A source said the militant camp was overrun and set ablaze by the JTF while the entire hostages were killed but Abubakar said he was not sure of the information when contacted. Sunday Vanguard learnt that, at a meeting of security chiefs in Abuja to review the situation, last Wednesday night, it was agreed that reprisal attack should be suspended. However, the authorities of the JTF were said to be very angry about the impudence of the militants in attacking the soldiers in the first instance and launched revenge attack in the name of cordon and search operation. According to reports, the JTF launched aerial and sea attacks with helicopter, jet bombers and gun boats on the controversial militant den, Camp 5, in Oporoza, Delta State the traditional headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Kunukunuma and Kurutie communities, leaving no fewer than 40 persons, among them old men, women and children, dead and over 70 persons injured.

Camp Five destroyed: As at the time of filing this report, one of the 15 foreigners that were taken hostage to act as human shield by the militants was suspected to have been killed with a number of them injured as a result of the raid by the JTF. Our source in the militant camp said the militants were fleeing the camp as a result of the bombardment.

Kidnap of foreigners

A militant leader in the state confirmed that the camp had been overrun by the JTF and that the boys had fled. The JTF spokesman told Sunday Vanguard, when contacted on the casualties, Friday , that he was not aware of any death, saying the task force only carried out a cordon and search operation following the attack on military personnel, hijack of ocean-going vessels and kidnap of foreigners by militants from Camp 5. But community sources said the JTF carried out the operation with up to 30 gunboats, two naval warships, helicopter and jet bombers.

We were attacked with helicopter and jet bombers – community leaders

Chief Akowei Oboko from Kunukunuma community told Sunday Vanguard that scores of persons were killed in his community, saying, “The JTF stormed my town with jet bombers, bombing everywhere. “We don’t know what we have done to warrant this attack by the JTF. Is the Federal Government at war with us?”. Chief Godspower Gbenekama from Benikurukuru community, who was at Oporoza for the aborted Amaseikumo festival, was among the lucky persons that escaped alive from the community. He told Sunday Vanguard, “The Ameseikumo festival in Oporoza has been halted and so many people were killed today (Friday) when the JTF struck with helicopter, gunboats, jet bombers and warships”.

25 dead in Oporoza: “Twenty-five corpses have been picked up in Oporoza as at the time I fled the community, one of those injured is a traditional chief. Over 20 persons are missing and I don’t know the reason for this genocide. I tell you, what the JTF came to do was to wipe out the community. How can they use such weapons on innocent and defenseless citizens. As I speak to you now, nobody in that village can sleep in his house, all of them have run and fled into the bush, it is the ones who could not run that they bombed and killed. A lot of buildings were destroyed and the youths are angry, the government should call the JTF to order.”

Chief Godspower Viavrivinde also told Sunday Vanguard that 10 persons, including men, women and children were killed

in Kurutie community. He fled the community through Sapele and got to Warri in the afternoon, Friday. High Chief Oyagha Heaven said fighting was on between Okerenkoko youths and the JTF when he fled yesterday. His words, “The JTF troops were advancing towards Okerenkoko, which we hear they want to attack because of the false claim that it is the traditional headquarters of militants in the kingdom. The youths confronted them five nautical miles away from the community. But, right now, the people have fled the community, they have all run into the forest and I don’t expect otherwise when they saw helicopter and jet bombers throwing bombs in the neighbouring Kurutie and Kunukunuma. We hear that Okerenkoko is next in their plan to attack and that they are even planning to trail Gbaramatu leaders staying in Warri and arrest them, this will be a dangerous development”.

As the fighting was going on, Friday, Clark forwarded a text message to Sunday Vanguard. It read, “The military (JTF) have declared total war on our people in the Escravos in Delta State. They are bombing from the air, killing innocent children and women in Okerenkoko, Oporoza, Kurutie and Kunukunuma. They are seeking for safety in the bush.

Please, intervene immediately by telling Mr. President not to declare total war on fellow Nigerians, particularly when Vice President Goodluck Jonathan is away in Europe on official mission. The consequences of this unwholesome attack on our people would be very disastrous to the nation as a whole. God will save us from this oppression and enslavement.”

MEND says women, children, elderly men killed: MEND, in a press statement on the attack, said, “The Nigeria military forces today (yesterday) launched indiscriminate aerial bombardment on the defenseless civilians in the Gbaramatu area of Delta state to serve as a punishment for the humiliating defeat they suffered when they tried to raid two militant camps on Wednesday, May 13. Casualties are mostly women, children and the elderly who could not get away quickly into the bush or high sea.

Considering that the target of the government happens to be the same state supposed to champion its false peace and

amnesty drive, our skepticism has proven to be correct. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is declaring an all out war in the region and call upon all men of fighting age to enlist for our freedom. We reiterate once again our directive to all oil companies to evacuate by the deadline of midnight today and cease oil production until further notice. This will be the last time such a warning will be released”.

We did not kill anybody – JTF

Coordinator of the JMCC of the JTF said, however, that the military only carried out a cordon and search operation on the militants’ hideouts in the creeks following the recent attack on soldiers on escort duty, hijack of ocean-going vessels and kidnap of 15 foreigners. He told Sunday Vanguard that he was not aware of any death.

According to him, “The Joint Task Force, ‘Operation Restore Hope’ is hereby assuring the general public residing in Warri and its environs that the recent movement of troops within their area is as a result of the changing of guard that is taking place in the various locations that the troops are deployed, to replace troops who have stayed long in a location with fresh ones for routine assignment”.

Death of a hostage: MEND confirmed, late on Friday, the death of one of the 15 hostages, saying he was killed by stray bullet from the invading JTF forces as well as the capture of a Nigerian naval warship deployed from Liberia for the operation by the government. He said the ship would be set ablaze just as the JTF said it had recovered the ship, saying that the ship was hijacked by the militants.

Original Source:
Original date published: 17 May 2009

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200905180370.html?viewall=1

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