Face of new war in Niger Delta – Villagers flee military raids

Instead of making progress towards a peaceful state, members of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) and militants have resumed hostilities this time around not on battle field but verbal warfare. The fight by the two groups, according to investigation by Weekly Trust, is a game of deceit. This is coming after a heavy military […]

Instead of making progress towards a peaceful state, members of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) and militants have resumed hostilities this time around not on battle field but verbal warfare. The fight by the two groups, according to investigation by Weekly Trust, is a game of deceit. This is coming after a heavy military confrontation between the two groups.

The latest development is all about alleged killings of dozens of persons and rape of women around Ayankoromor and other communities in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State after reported battles between men of the JTF and militants linked with the now popular militant commander, ‘General’ John Togo last Wednesday. The JTF is said to have since declared Togo wanted. The Wednesday raid was aimed at capturing Togo’s camp said to be located three kilometres away from Ayankoromor. It was not clear if the soldiers succeeded, though sources said the militants resisted while the army said the armed boys were “overpowered”.

The Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF), a militant wing reportedly claimed that over 100 innocent residents were executed by soldiers during the operation. ‘Colonel’ Mark Anthony was reported saying dozens of residents were missing after the raid, stressing that “the JTF intentionally avoided a bloody confrontation with its (militant) fighters by refusing to attack the group’s Israel Barracks.

“The casualties are mostly little children, aged parents and women who could not escape through the thick forest. Some children drowned, running into the riverside for fear of the air raiders,” he was reportedly quoted as saying.

Spokesman of the JTF’s, Lt. Col. Timothy Antigha switched off his GSM line almost all through yesterday when Weekly Trust tried reaching him on many occasions. But online reports said he denied allegations by the militants and implied that the armed men were only confusing issues. “There is no way the JTF would kill any civilian because this operation was planned for a very long time to avoid innocent deaths. I can tell you with all honesty and assurance that if anybody was killed, that person cannot deny being a militant, because the places where the JTF opened fire were identified as militant camps,” Antigha was quoted as saying.
He also said the militants were adopting propaganda tactics. Antigha said the aircraft used for reconnaissance were fired at by the militants, who used anti-aircraft guns.  “The JTF has smoked them out and they are now running helter-skelter,” the spokesman reportedly added.

But the recent ‘games’ and antics being played by either of the two parties didn’t start over the recent alleged killings and rape. Less than two weeks ago, the JTF had paraded some 63 men it said were militants arrested at the creeks during military raids. The JTF also displayed 12 multipurpose guns, 47 AK 47 riffles it claimed were recovered from the militants. Soon after the JTF handed over the arrested 63 militants to the Rivers State Police Command on November 21, 2010 along with weapons, the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, an auspice of militant groups in the region, issued a statement claiming the JTF and the federal government conspired to stage manage the arrest to impress Nigerians and show President Goodluck Jonathan as being on top of the situation. MEND said the ‘so called’ militants handed over, presented themselves in a ‘drama’ to the JTF.

But Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Suleiman Abba said on Monday evening that there was no stage-managing in the whole thing. He argued that whether the militants forwarded themselves or not was immaterial and that he (the CP) personally supervised what he called “discreet investigation” soon after the JTF handed over 63 militants to the police. He said two others were also arrested, making them 65, all of whom were found to have taken part in violent crimes with charges of murder, kidnap, robbery and possession of lethal weapons against them.

The 65 militants were last Monday remanded in prison after they were arraigned in Magistrate Court 1, Port Harcourt, over 15-count charges involving murder, kidnapping, robbery and illegal possession of firearms.

The JTF had three weeks ago said it found sophisticated and dangerous military weapons including ante aircraft bombs, rocket propel grenades, dozens of machine guns and AK 47 riffles, over 30,000 rounds of live ammunitions among others in seven freshly operated militant camps located in the creeks of Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa states.

Lt. Col. Anthiga told Weekly Trust in a telephone interview that of the seven camps, three were located in Rivers while Bayelsa and Delta states had two camps each hitherto used by militants.

He also promised that more offensives “will be carried out simultaneously across the region for a long time until all criminals in the Niger Delta are fished out or they renounce criminalities”.

That raid led to the freeing of 19 hostages including seven whites and 12 blacks (four staff of Shell Petroleum Development Company and eight staff of Mobil) being held by militants. On the freeing of hostages, the militants claimed that they only left the JTF to take custody of the hostages because innocent citizens were at the risk of being attacked by soldiers. The JTF has since dismissed that as also propaganda.

Weekly Trust gathered that sharp division among the militant groups may have brought back militancy in the Niger Delta. Some militants said to be loyal to the MEND are thought to believe the Federal Government isn’t sincere on the development in the region as “there is still nothing to show on ground in the creek”, while another group feels they accepted amnesty to allow the government develop the region.

It was learnt that many militants who had accepted the amnesty programme of the Federal Government may have picked up their guns again. Observers believe that some of the militants though registered by government feel excluded in benefits coming, suspecting others of getting the most of benefits. There are other militants who have expressed frustration by their exclusion in the amnesty package. Military sources had told Weekly Trust that the youths who barricaded the busy Imbiama junction leading to Yenogoa in protest in October, 2010, failed to surrender arms and register as ex-militants before the deadline of the amnesty’s proclamation last year by late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua which is why they are not regarded as surrendered militants.

Days before that protest, armed men thronged and bombed the residence of President Goodluck Jonathan’s adviser on Niger Delta matters, Mr. Timi Alaibe in a local government area in Bayelsa State, though it is still not clear if the bombing has links with the amnesty controversies.

It appears the JTF and the militants have employed some sort of psychological warfare – with one or both – distorting information and confusing Nigerians.