N’Delta: Between militancy and JTF’s renewed onslaught

Since the declaration of the governorship election result in Delta, there have been threats of violence by militant groups, EMMANUEL ADDEH writes

In the run-up to the elections into the various elective positions in Delta State, South South, Nigeria, there was a mixed bag of predictions as to the peaceful conduct of the elections in the oil-rich state.

While many observers, who expressed serious concern about the increasing tension as a fallout of the governorship rerun in the state in January, had raised fears over the security situation, others predicted a fairly orderly poll.

The palpable tension in the state could easily be attributed to the inflamed passions that trailed the rerun governorship poll after the quashing of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan’s tenure late last year by the Court of Appeal.

In fact, a few weeks before the National Assembly elections, the security in the volatile state had become so unassailable that a first time visitor would mistake the state for a war zone.

Though the elections have come and gone with their fair share of violence, including killings, maiming and arson, the fallout of the governorship results has continued to generate ripples with last week’s threat by unrepentant militants to cripple the oil industry because of the ‘imposition’ of the re-elected incumbent.

A group of former militants, under the aegis of the Coalition of Niger Delta Freedom Fighters in the state, had given a 21-day ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission and President Goodluck Jonathan to upturn what they described as the imposition of Uduaghan on the people.

The body comprising former militants in the Niger Delta region in a statement by ‘General’ Akpos Jones and ‘Commander’ Ziko, said they were ready to cripple the oil industry in Delta State and the Niger Delta region in general, if their demand was not met within 21 days.

The warlords added that the conclusion was reached following ‘’the naked and forceful imposition of Uduaghan on the people of Delta State by the Federal Government through its agencies, such as INEC, Army, Police and other security agencies in the April 26, 2011 election.”

“The governorship election was massively rigged. We regard this imposition as an affront on our sensibility and that of Deltans in general. The situation is made worse by the suppression of women groups, students groups and other groups, who had or attempted to protest this imposition.

“It is on record that bad leadership and imposition of leaders were responsible for militancy in the Niger Delta region, which came to a temporary stop with the granting of amnesty to former militants,” the group said.

Though the 21-day ultimatum is yet to expire, there is already palpable tension in the state, as the Joint Task Force, codenamed Operation Restore Hope, has intensified its efforts to eliminate what it described as criminals who merely hide under the guise of fighting for their freedom.

The JTF termed the group as ‘previously unknown’ and warned members of the group from embarking on a “regrettable course of action.”

The JTF, which spoke through its Media Coordinator, Lt.-Col. Timothy Antigha, noted that members of the group would be treated as mere criminals if they chose to flout the law and disturb public peace.

The leadership of the military operation in the Niger Delta stated that it was poised to ‘deal swiftly and decisively with anyone or group who attempts to foist another spectre of fear and insecurity on the Niger Delta Region.’

Vowing not to allow any dissident group or individual take up arms against the state, the leadership of the military operation said, ‘the attention of The Joint Task Force has been drawn to a threat issued by a group which calls itself ‘Coalition of Niger Delta Freedom Fighters’, to cripple the oil industry in Delta State and the Niger Delta Region in general’, over what it called the imposition of Governor Uduaghan on the people of Delta State.

“The JTF condemns this threat in very strong terms and earnestly implores those behind it to ponder deeply before embarking on what may become a regrettable course of action.

‘’Moreover, the JTF notes that no individual or group has the right to take the law into its hands or resort to self-help because his/her preferred candidate did not win the Delta State governorship election or any other election for that matter.

“The government has constituted election tribunals to handle all election related petitions. Therefore, the JTF advises all aggrieved parties to approach the tribunal with evidence of alleged malpractices for adjudication, instead of engaging the services of discredited individuals to threaten the state. Furthermore, the JTF warns that the days of tampering with national infrastructure over perceived injustice or grievances are over.”

The military also threatened to visit the alleged sponsors of the former militants with the full weight of the law, adding that the subsisting amnesty agreement forbids them from taking up arms against the Nigerian state.

Even as efforts to douse the fears raised by the group of militants were gathering momentum, there was information that the much dreaded John Togo had returned to the creeks and remobilised his boys for a fresh onslaught on the oil facilities in the state.

Indeed, there were reports that there had been a clash between Togo’s boys and the military officers deployed to maintain peace in the Niger Delta, thereby breaking the relative peace that had returned to the troubled state since the amnesty programme commenced.

The face-off, which occurred at Ayakoromo Community, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta state, reportedly took place when some unrepentant militants were said to have run into the patrol team of the JTF.

A statement by Antigha in Warri had confirmed that the incident occurred at about 2pm.

The terse statement signed by the JTF spokesman read, “at about 1353 hours today, again in Ayakoromo Community in Burutu LGA of Delta State, there was a skirmish between troops of the JTF who were on routine patrol and renegade militants, suspected to be associates of the wanted John Togo. Further details will be provided later’’.

But when The PUNCH sought to know the reason behind the renewed face-off, Antigha said Togo had taken advantage of the stoppage of patrol of the riverine areas by the JTF during the elections to remobilise his boys in the area.

It was gathered that that the decision to temporarily halt the 24-hour patrol by the military in the area was to reduce the perception that the JTF was being used to intimidate voters in favour of any of the governorship candidates.

The JTF spokesman noted that during the period of the election, the ex-warlord commenced the construction of a new camp in the Ayakoromo area before the military resumed its full operation at the conclusion of the poll.

It maintained that it was during the resumption of the normal patrol on Wednesday that its men came under fire from Togo’s boys.

The military insisted that some politicians who were dissatisfied with the recent outcome of the just concluded governorship election in Delta state were colluding with ‘’some discredited elements’’ to threaten security in the state in particular and the Niger Delta region in general.

According to Antigha, “the JTF has located new militant camps erected by John Togo and his gang. It is from these new camps that recent cases of sea robbery and harassment of traders in the creeks have been staged.

“The JTF is currently engaged in a military action to rout these criminals once and for all. The location of the new camp is a comfortable distance from the community. Consequently, the use of civilians as human shield might not arise.

“We, however, warn civilians to keep off the operations area and also remain calm as every care has been taken to avoid collateral damage. Casualties cannot be determined at the moment as the fog of war is yet to clear.”

He appealed to politicians to use all legal means to pursue their causes, vowing that the JTF would deal ruthlessly with anyone who disturbs the peace of the state.

The government of Delta state had also accused the opposition of using militants to destabilise its activities and instigating them to cause mayhem

A statement signed by one Frank Shaibu on behalf of the government called on the Federal Government to immediately commence an investigation into the relationship between the opposition Democratic Peoples Party, led by Chief Great Ogboru and the various militant groups that had resurrected, as it were.

But in an interview with our correspondent at the party’s secretariat in Asaba, the state DPP Chairman, Chief Tony Ezeagwu, described the allegation as false and accused the Delta State Government of embarking on massive propaganda to curry the sympathy of the public.

The party noted that the PDP had again started turning the security agencies against the party which is currently in court to quash the outcome of the January rerun.

Ezeagwu alleged that it was the usual practice of the state PDP to always use the police and other security agencies to intimidate the opposition on trumped up allegations.

He stoutly denied the allegation that the governorship candidate of the DPP in the last elections in the state, Ogboru, was behind the ultimatum issued by the former militants, adding that it was the normal tactics of the Uduaghan administration to pre-empt the government’s “devious plans and turn it against the opposition.”

The DPP boss urged the Federal Government and the relevant security agencies to immediately commence an in-depth investigation into the matter and prosecute whoever is found culpable.