Return Tompolo Staff of Office; N'Delta Monarchs Make Fresh 6 Conditions For peace, See List

The Niger Delta Coastal States’ monarchs yesterday gave six conditions to the Federal Government, which, they said, must be fulfilled if sustainable peace could be achieved in the region.

They urged the central government to constitute a dialogue team that would facilitate discussions with stakeholders in the Niger Delta on the way out of the current militancy in the oilrich region.

The royal fathers who made their position known when they paid a visit on the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, also demanded the release of 10 “innocent” school children arrested by the Nigerian Army on May 28 in Oporoza and the return of the Golden Sword, the symbol of authority of the Gbaramatu traditional institution.

Chief Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, a fugitive wanted ex-militant leaders has been declared wanted by the Federal Government over some financial crime related offences had in a letter sent to President Muhammadu Buhari accused the army of theft of his staff of office as traditional chief at Gbaramatu kingdom. 

The Bolowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Wellington Okrika, who read out the conditions on behalf of the royal delegation, listed other conditions to include the return of the three traditional council speed boats in custody of the Nigerian Army; the cessation of hostilities said to have been perpetrated by the military in the Niger Delta region, as well as the re-opening of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State for the 2016 /2017 academic session.

Okrika gave assurance that the monarchs would continue to support every effort that would help restore peace and sanity to the region. In response to their demands, Kachikwu commended the monarchs for the visit, stressing that the restoration of peace in the region was imperative. He said the ceasefire announced by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) was a welcome development, adding that every effort must be made to sustain it.

The minister said that it was unfortunate that after the declaration of ceasefire, a pipeline was vandalised in Nembe community, which led to the loss of about 150 barrels of oil and a huge quantity of gas. “This inability to stay steadfast creates military intervention because government cannot sit down and watch oil production go down.

The president has shown a lot of patience and believes that engaging the communities is the best model. You should continue to reach out to others to ensure total ceasefire because as production goes down, it affects both the federal and state governments in tackling their financial burdens,” he said.

Kachikwu disclosed that the Federal Government had spent about $40 billion dollars on the Niger Delta region in the last 10 years.

According to him, there was the need for all revenue accruing to the region to be applied judiciously and royal fathers to ensure that monies were channelled properly to ensure the development of the region.

In the last one year, the federal government lost about 50 per cent of its revenue to the dwindling price of crude oil and the situation was worsened by the renewed militancy in the region. Presently, oil production has reduced from 1.6 million barrel per day to 1.4 million. This may translate to further drop in revenue by about 60 per cent.

Nigeria has lost huge revenues owing to the sustained attacks on oil and gas pipelines in the Niger Delta carried out by militant groups. Meanwhile, Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to respond positively to the outreach from the militant groups to arrive at a holistic and comprehensive solution. He said at the moment, the militant groups feel that the government is not seriously responding to their own outreach. Soyinka, who made this call yesterday in Lagos at a press conference to announce a cultural exchange initiative, tagged “The SAIL PROJECT – Lebanese-Nigerian partnership”, said he is not part of any international intervention group.

His words: “I wish to make personal appeal to the government to respond positively to the outreach from the militant groups; that is a request which have been made by some of the groups which got me into this interventionist role in the first place.

At the moment, they feel that the government of President Buhari is not seriously responding to their own outreach. “I’m not part of any international group, but I was approached personally and I have been responding personally to some of these groups just like I did when President Jonathan was in power and MEND was the umbrella group of insurgents.

“So, I make an appeal once again to the government to please respond to the efforts of these militant groups to arrive at a holistic and comprehensive solution, this is Wole Soyinka speaking; it is not an international group. I repeat, there is no international group in existence, but I hope one gets formed very soon and active too.”

New Telegraph

How I Increase My Blokos Size & Stopped Premature Ejaculation Issues That Scattered My Relationship For 2years.. Click HERE for Details

Niger Delta Crisis: Buhari Sparks As Negotiating Elders Demand N8b, Tagged N'Delta Govs. Corrupt, Untrustworthy

A fresh report suggests that astronomic demand of N8 billion is the major reason why the ongoing negotiation between the Federal Government and the elders from the troubled Niger Delta region stalled.

The Federal Government and representatives of various groups in the Niger Delta have come to a near standstill in a dispute over the disbursement of N8 billion, Sahara reporters reported yesterday. 

President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has been in negotiations with several Niger Delta stakeholders to end the growing insecurity in the zone where a new militant group, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), has been bombing oil facilities. 

A number of “elders” from the Niger Delta area, who have been represented in the talks as “major stakeholders,” demanded N8 billion from the Buhari administration as a condition for continuing with negotiations, Presidency source said according to Sahara Reporters

“The elders also demanded that the money should be given directly by the Federal Government to them because they said they don’t trust the governors of the Niger Delta States to handle the funds,” one source said.

According to the source, Mr. Buhari was adamant that he could not honor the elders’ demands. He said the president stated that such a payment to a private group would violate the Constitution. “Mr. President’s position is that there is no legal mechanism in place that allows him to allocate any sum of money directly to the elder group, bypassing State governments. The elders have to change the constitution if they want President Muhammadu Buhari to give them money directly,” the source said.

President Buhari urged the elders to publicly protest against the governors if they believed the state governors to be corrupt and untrustworthy.

In the face of the stalemate in negotiations, President Buhari is reportedly bent on escalating military options as a way to curb the growing insecurity in the region.

Friday evening, security forces arrested more than 100 suspected militants from the Niger Delta area.

Over the last few months, members of the Niger Delta Avengers have bombed numerous oil facilities belonging to international oil companies in the Niger Delta region. The militant group has demanded more crude oil revenues for the oil-producing states, the release of militants who are being detained or incarcerated, and continued funding of the amnesty program for former militants. The group’s bomb attacks on oil facilities have forced oil firms in the Delta region to be on high alert, to take significant security measures to protect their employees, and to cut down on oil production.

Earlier this week, the United States State Department issued a travel warning for American citizens in twenty Nigerian states, including the entire states in the Niger Delta. The State Department cited growing insecurity, the risk of abduction and violent robbery as well as terrorism.

Excerpted from Sahara Reporters

How I Increase My Blokos Size & Stopped Premature Ejaculation Issues That Scattered My Relationship For 2years.. Click HERE for Details

Budget Scandal: Tension As Lawmakers' Signature For Dogara Impeachment Swell From 102 to 250, Security Beefed Around Jibrin

No doubt, this is not the best of time for the Speaker of the House Representative, Yakubu Dogara, as colleagues who want him removed have swellen from th initial 102 to 250.

News Punch Had on earlier this week reported that some members of the lower legislative arm had signed in support of the Speaker's removal.

The embattled former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin, says at least 250 out of the 360 members of the House have signed a petition calling for the probe and removal of the Speaker, Punch Newspaper reports this morning.

Jibrin added that the Department of State Services had beefed up security around him due to threats he had been receiving.

Jibrin said this on Thursday during a programme on Africa Independent Television, titled,‘Focus Nigeria.’

The lawmaker claimed that some of his colleagues even demanded that they marched down to the secretariat of the appropriations committee, but he told them that it was not yet time to do so.

Jibrin said part of the demands of the lawmakers was that Dogara should immediately reconvene the House, which is on holiday, and then step down and allow a thorough probe of the lower chamber of the National Assembly.

He, also, said Dogara had become jittery and had refused to give in to their demands.

He said the intention of Dogara was to ensure that the House remained on recess until September when the tension would have been doused.

He said, “I am not alone, I am with many members. Yesterday (Wednesday), a lot of them said they wanted to go to the secretariat with me, but I said no. I didn’t want us to make the thing to look like a movie.

“We have the transparency group and it did not just start now; so no one can say Jibrin initiated it. It was formed even before we went on holiday. Anyone that says we are lying must be a joker because there were about 200 signatures before we left for holiday.

“Now, they have increased to about 250. Another group has emerged aside the integrity group and these groups have come together and all they are asking Mr. Speaker to do is to reconvene the House immediately and step down, but the body language of Mr. Speaker and a few corrupt people around him is that the issue would have died down when we resume in September and Nigerians would have forgotten.

“You are corrupt and you are talking about September. What we are asking for is that Mr. Speaker should reconvene the House immediately and step down so that internal and external investigations can go on concurrently.”

Jibrin said apart from the Speaker, the culprits in the budget padding allegations were the Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun; the Minority Leader, Leo Ogor; and the Chief Whip, Alhassan Doguwa.

He said the Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, was not part of the alleged budget padding because Gbajabiamila had been marginalised by Dogara and was not in the chamber’s inner caucus.

The lawmaker said he used to be friends with Gbajabiamila, but they had not been on talking terms since last year when he supported Dogara for the post of the Speaker.

“People keep asking why I didn’t mention Femi (Gbajabiamila). I tried to explain that it is these four principal officers – the Speaker, the deputy, the whip and the minority leader   – that are involved. Everyone who knows the House will tell you that these four people have hijacked it.

“The meeting where they decided to divert N40bn was at the office of the Speaker and it was the four of them that insisted. Even though I am not on good terms with Femi, he has not been involved in the decisions of the House even as the Leader. He has been excluded from key decisions in the House.”

Jibrin said he made 25 allegations against the Speaker and his cohorts, adding that he had concrete evidence, which he was willing to present.

He accused the minority leader of diverting the money budgeted for the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

Jibrin said, “When I look at Leo Ogor, who has the audacity to go on screen and talk, I fear for the future of this country. This is somebody who practically made nonsense of the Niger Delta Ministry’s budget. It was the beginning of my disagreement with him and I have documents to prove it.

“He (Ogor) brought in all his projects into the budget. He basically took over the budget of the Niger Delta Ministry. The minister complained several times, but he couldn’t do anything about it and I told Ogor that the way he was carrying on was not the way to prepare budget.’’

He added, “When you talk of massive movement of money in the budget, people will say the lawmakers have the power. Yes, I have also come out to say that the lawmakers have the power to move money, but the issue is that the Constitution did not envisage that a lawmaker will do it like someone who needs to be taken to a psychiatric hospital.

“For instance, a local government may have the capacity to use 10 transformers, but if a lawmaker decided to inflate it to 50 transformers, it is corruption; it is fraud. So, there is a limit to appropriation.”

Jibrin also said the Speaker had come up with a plot to defraud all the lawmakers under the guise of providing accommodation for them.

“How can the Speaker write to members to contribute a part of their running costs to build houses for them? A project being carried out by his own consultants! The money is meant for members to procure constituency offices, hold town hall meetings and do research; and you want to divert the money for that kind of project!”

Excerpt From Punch Newspaper

How I Increase My Blokos Size & Stopped Premature Ejaculation Issues That Scattered My Relationship For 2years.. Click HERE for Details

Jonathan Dodges Questions on Corruption Cases Against Aides, Officials At Aso Rock

The Former President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday dodged questions from reporters bothering on corruption charges against some of his aides and official, insisting that he would speak about the issue at the “appropriate time”.

The former President speaking to State House correspondents Wednesday in Abuja after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, said: “I don’t want to talk about that, because there are too many cases that are in court, it will not be fair to make comments, ThisDay Newspaper reports

“I will talk at the appropriate time when most of these things are resolved.”

The former president said he was in the State House to brief the president on his mission to monitor the upcoming elections in Zambia and called on Nigerians to work towards a united country.

He also solicited for peace in the Niger Delta, saying that there could be no development without peace.

Jonathan said: “It’s not just about me but about all the traditional rulers, elders and opinion leaders that are of the Ijaw ethnic nationality.

“We have been in touch to see that peace reigns in the country. Those of you who have followed my stand when I was here; my emphasis was that we need a united Nigeria and I always emphasise that Nigeria is great not just because of oil.

“So many countries produce more oil than Nigeria, but nobody notices them. We are great because of our size, the human resources we have, the diversity we have, so if we fragmentise the country into small components we will be forgotten by the world.

“That has been my focal position and without peace there cannot be development anywhere in the world, we are all working collectively to see that issues are resolved.”

Providing further insight on his visit to the State House, the former president said: “You asked why I came to see the president today; one key thing is that having been a head of a government, a former president, you become state property.

“That’s the privilege you have, but every privilege has its corresponding responsibility, and once you become state property, your international engagements that have to do with public addresses and some international assignments becomes national assignments, so you must brief the president.

“Even when I was here, former presidents used to do that and came to brief me. I have been coming here; most times I come at night, that’s why you don’t see me.

“So I came to brief the president on some of my engagements. As you are aware, I will be leading the AU elections monitoring team to Zambia. I came to brief the president about some of these external engagements. It is the tradition.”

After leaving the State House, Jonathan was reported to have held a meeting with the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last night in Abuja.

Although details of the meeting were sketchy, party sources said the meeting was slated to discuss the protracted crisis in the PDP following the removal of its former national chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, and how to resolve the problem.

The division within the PDP and a retinue of court orders and counter-orders pose a serious threat to the future of the party as a counter-balance to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

How I Increase My Blokos Size & Stopped Premature Ejaculation Issues That Scattered My Relationship For 2years.. Click HERE for Details

Coward Tompolo Writes Buhari From Hideout Again, Reveals Shocking Army Brutality In Niger Delta

A former militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, otherwise known as Tompolo, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to stop harassment of his family members and relations allegedly by the military and other security agencies.

Tompolo, in a letter addressed to the president on Friday, in Abuja, said that he had endured attacks on his immediate family, associates and aides following the decision of the army and other security agencies to launch a manhunt for him.

The ‘retired’ militant said that he was alarmed recently when the military raided Kurutie town in the Niger Delta in search of his 84-year-old father who, he said, had his leg amputated after being brutalised.

He equally narrated how other persons, including students writing their final examinations, were brutalised in the course of the search for him.

“We managed to rescue him, took him to Warri and hospitalised him. Sadly, one of his lower limbs was amputated two weeks ago. From the doctors’ report, it will be a miracle if he survives this incident. Is this 84 years old man also a member of the Niger Delta Avengers that he was brutalised to the point of death? Will Your Excellency accept it in good faith if this was done to your father or someone of this age in your family?

“I have not heard of anyone that was treated like this even in the volatile north-eastern part of the country,” Tompolo wrote.

He insisted that his case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would not drag him into violence, as according to him, he has a good case against the anti-graft commission.

“I have said it on many occasions that the issue I am having with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will not lead me into violence or make me resort to destruction of pipelines and other oil facilities, because I have a good case,” he said.

He also accused the government of using some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to intimidate his family members and aides, adding that he was in a better position to help the country realise its objectives in the Niger Delta than many of those allegedly being used to “persecute” him.

“The latest victims of this unwarranted, misdirected and wicked act are Hon. Simeon Bebenimibo, a member of the Delta State Waterways and Land Security Committee and a driver of one of my aides, Mr Ebipade Kari, who was on an errand with a little baby. The baby was thrown away from the vehicle, as the driver was beaten to pulp by your men, as he was asked the whereabouts of his boss.

“That was not all. The military men stormed the house of one of my younger brothers and harassed his pregnant wife with guns pointed at her. This has led to complications because of the closeness to her full time of delivery. The duo who were arrested are presently in the custody of the Nigerian Army, Effurun.

“Before this incident, the navy went to the apartment of another of my aides and picked up his heavily pregnant wife as he was out of town and kept her for 24 hours in the navy base before releasing her. The mode of operation is that the military command usually decorates associates of Ayiri Emami and Michael Johnny with military uniforms and they go from door to door with a long list of names and addresses of my family members and associates with the intention of arresting them.”

In the letter titled: “The Continuous Harassment of My Family Members and Close Associates by Security Agents and Overzealous APC Members is Worrisome,” Tompolo said this might be his last open letter to Buhari on this matter.

“Your Excellency, sir, it could be recalled that this was how the military went to Oporoza town on Saturday, May 28, 2016, at about 2.00 a.m. and held the community hostage for one week. During that midnight invasion, the military carted away valuables worth several millions of naira, desecrated worship centres and took away the symbol of authority of the Gbaramatu people from the Egbesu shrine, as well as picked up 10 innocent students and palace staff, most of whom are orphans preparing for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

“Up till now, their whereabouts are unknown. That same day, the military went to Kurutie town in search of my 84 years old father and brutalised him. We managed to rescue him to Warri and hospitalised him. Sadly, one of his lower limbs was amputated two weeks ago. From the doctors’ report, it will be a miracle if he survives this incident.

“Is this 84 years old man also a member of the Niger Delta Avengers that he was brutalised to the point of death? Will Your Excellency accept this in good faith if this was done to your father or someone of this age in your family? I have not heard of anyone that was treated like this even in the volatile north-eastern part of the country.

“I have said it on many occasions that the issue I am having with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will not lead [me] into violence or [make me] resort to destruction of pipelines and other oil facilities, because I have a good case.

“Your Excellency, sir, I have been wondering, since the beginning of my travail at your instance and I wish to ask whether this is part of the fight against corruption in Nigeria. Or was it because I supported my kinsman, former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 general election? I thought everyone in Nigeria had the liberty to support whomever he or she deemed fit in an election. And as Dr Jonathan bravely accepted the outcome of the election, which brought you in as president of Nigeria today, I thought you will heal wounds as the father of the nation. And it was on this premise that I visited you immediately after your swearing-in ceremony to pledge my loyalty and readiness to work with your administration.

“I am yet to be told the reason for all these shenanigans exhibited by your security agencies and party members (Ayiri Emami and Michael Johnny). I really want to know whether this Macarbre dance is being declared by you or it is out of their volition they perpetrate this high level of hatred on my person and close associates. It has really gotten to a worrisome dimension as the situation is deteriorating by the day.

“Your Excellency, sir, I only contributed to the development of the Nigerian Maritime University. I only agreed to sell my property, Mieka International Diving School structures (19 gigantic buildings of various sizes on 12 hectares of reclaimed land), for the quick and flawless takeoff of the university. And it all went through due process. I never knew my goodwill and patriotism would lead me to where I am now.

“I have this burning desire to attract developmental strides to this difficult terrain, as it is the only thing for the people of the Niger Delta, particularly the coastal areas, to continue to have faith in Nigeria as the area has been neglected for so long a time.

“Your Excellency sir, it is instructive to state that you need me to drive this your change agenda in the Niger Delta region as I am ever passionate to improve the living condition of the people of the region.

“The truth of the matter is that I have been treated unfairly by you sir. After all these hallubalo about the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, in which I was accused of some wrong doing, you are yet to send emissaries to Okerenkoko (permanent site) and Kurutie( temporary site) of the University to ascertain the level of things on ground.

“Your Excellency sir, you are being respected today because of your integrity and sincerity of purpose; therefore, you need to consciously investigate the issues surrounding the establishment of the university. If you can send some of your trusted men to visit the sites of the university and request for documents from the Federal Ministries of Transportation and Land and Survey, then you would have succeeded in unravelling the truth behind this university controversy.

“Your Excellency would have investigated this issue of whether 13 billion naira was used to purchase a land for the Maritime University since assumption of office, owing to the fact that the entire country is your constituency.

“As it stands now, you are not abreast with things happening in this part of the country, perhaps you are only abreast with crude oil exploration activities in the Niger Delta region. I do not need to remind Your Excellency that the primary duty of any government is to seek after the welfare and security of the citizenry. Unfortunately, the people of the Niger Delta region, particularly the coastal people, are relegated to the background despite the huge revenue contribution from the area to the coffers of the country.

“Mr President, sir, I have written you several open letters. I have stated my position clearly each time I write you. This may be my last open letter to you. I believe the truth will come to stay one day. You need to do the right thing by uniting the entire country. Be wary of bogus informants. Always try as much as possible to hear every side of issues that are brought before you. By this, you will always know those who sincerely love you.”

How I Increase My Blokos Size & Stopped Premature Ejaculation Issues That Scattered My Relationship For 2years.. Click HERE for Details

MILITANCY: Buhari Dumps Niger Delta Crude Oil For North's

Having unsuccessfully resolved the crisis in Nigeria's crude oil hub, the Niger Delta region, the Federal Government has reportedly resolved to dump drilling of crude oil from the region.

The President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government of Nigeria will soon start drilling crude oil in Lake Chad Basin region in what is supposed to boost the country’s output, TodayNG reports

The resolution was reached after efforts to placate militant groups in Niger Delta failed.

The exploitation of oil outside the traditional crude oil stronghold is to plug the hole created by destruction of oil and gas infrastructure by the militant groups.

Oil drilling in the Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa states have largely been disrupted by insecurity in the areas bringing down the daily production to one million barrels from 2.2 million barrels.

The ministers of state for petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, on Friday confirmed oil drilling in the Chad Basin saying it will start in the last quarter of this year.

Chad Basin is located in the northeast where activities of Boko Haram have been countered significantly.

“The decision to diversify our business portfolio is about all of us and about the future of our dear country, the vision is clear, and we are determined not to fail,” Dr Kachikwu said.

The oil field already mapped out and secured covers 3,350 square kilometres.

The production from the well would help achieve the daily target of 2.5 million barrels.

TodayNG

100 Armed 'Niger Delta' Militants Invade Ogun Community, Kill Over Hundred

Militants in their 100 suspected to be Niger Delta's who specialises in pipeline vandalism reportedly invaded the Imushin community in the Ogijo area of Ogun State killing over 15 people, report according to Punch Newspaper suggests.

The militants numbering about 100, armed with guns and cutlasses, stormed the community around 11pm on Friday and embarked on a killing spree, killing every resident in sight.

Acordding to our source, few of the corpses which their families were preparing for burial in accordance with Islamic rites were seen

Among the 15 killed was a technician, Waheed Buhari, aka Yah Alau, who was shot dead in front of his room.

One of his children, Mariam, sustained bullet wounds.

A travel agent, Mr. Oladele Ogundare, was said to be returning home in his car, when the rampaging militants opened fire on his car and killed him.

Another resident, Umoru, who was said to be eating noodles, was chased, hacked and shot to death, along with a friend, Danladi.

A mosque in the community, was reportedly attacked and a Muslim cleric killed.

Two hotels were said to have also been raided and their customers robbed and injured.

More than 25 shops in the community were looted by the militants.

Many of the resident now living in fear as the militants have threatened to return even more brutal.

A resident, who wish not to names confided in Punch Newspaper correspondent the militants were suspected to be Ijaw youths involved in pipeline vandalism.

She explained that they were on a revenge mission as some operatives of the State Anti-Robbery Squad had killed two of the vandals earlier on Friday.

She said, “The whole thing began around 4pm on Friday. I was at the backyard of the hotel, cutting some weed when some SARS officers came in. They were shooting and ordering people to stop moving. There was confusion in the hotel.

“The SARS officials did not leave until after three hours. They killed two of the vandals and took away the owner of the hotel, a woman.

“Around 10pm, I went to urinate when I saw so many hoodlums coming from the waterside down the road. They carried sophisticated weapons and when they got here, they started shooting. They blew off the hotel windows and shot people dead. They killed two men here in Lapete village.”

A friend of Waheed, the electrician killed in Oke Muti, said the Ilorin, Kwara State indigene had tried to shut his door when the militants killed him.

Waheed’s corpse was still lying in a room and being prepared for burial.

His friend said, “He was going to urinate when the militants started firing. He tried to quickly shut his door, but it did not jam. They opened fire on him at the door step and did not stop until he dropped dead.

“Not satisfied, they entered his room and sprayed everywhere with bullets. Waheed’s child, Mariam, that was in the room was hit. She is still at the hospital.”

He added that the police recovered 15 corpses in the community.

The widow of the travel agent killed in the Ereko area of the community said her husband, Oladele, who worked on Victoria Island, Lagos State, had left for work in his car on Friday morning without any foreboding.

She said, “He gave me money for foodstuffs after dropping me off in front of a bank where I wanted to do a transaction. By 6pm, we spoke and he asked me to prepare rice for him that night.

“By 10pm, I called his line; it rang and he didn’t pick. I tried it again at 12am, still no response. I called his mother by 6am that I had not been able to reach him on his two telephone lines and she promised to call as well. She also couldn’t get to him.

“It was this morning (Saturday) that I saw a crowd of people in my house. They said he was a short distance from home when he was shot dead. I can’t believe this because we have barely spent a year in this community and this has never happened before.”

Some customers at the Catcher Hotel were lucky to have escaped with their lives.

However, the hoodlums carted away all the valuables in the hotel and vandalised all the electronic gadgets.

A soldier, who was not in uniform at the time of the attack, said the vandals cut him with a cutlass and smashed bottles on his head.

He said, “I had entered the beer parlour in the hotel when the militants came in. They were about 200. At first, I thought they were having a festival until they ordered all of us to lie flat on the ground.

“They asked for my two phones and when I gave them one, they became angry. One of them cut my head with a machete and followed it with a bottle. I was drenched in blood. The militants had sophisticated weapons that I had never seen before.

“They never asked for money from me and they didn’t search my pocket. If they did, they could have found my ID card and I would have been dead. I wore just a white shirt.”

A disc jockey at the hotel said one of the militants wanted to shoot him dead, but one of them persuaded him against it.

“They were arguing among themselves whether or not to kill me. One said, ‘If you don’t want me to kill him, then let me cut off his leg.’ But his colleague asked him not to.  Before I knew it, he had smashed three bottles on my head.

“They went away with my laptop, phones, money and everything I had. They refused to carry away the beers in the hotel. They took only the hard drinks,” he said.

Women in the hotel, who claimed that the militants spent about 30 minutes, said they tortured them with cutlasses and guns.

Efforts to speak with community leaders were abortive as they declined comment.

It was gathered that a community leader had been abducted by the militants a few months ago, after reporting a case against them at a station.

A source said, “The man was in the creek for 40 days. The militants collected N10m from the community before he was released. That is why everybody is afraid to talk. People have started fleeing the community. Two Hausas were killed during this attack and the Hausa community has vowed to fight back.”

A man, who spoke for the Imushin community, pleaded with the government to intervene before the community was completely deserted.

He said, “These people are militants and even the police cannot withstand their firepower. We need help from the government. We will appreciate anything they can do for us.”

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the attack, but said only three people were killed.

He said, “Around 11pm at Ereko Community, Ogijo, some hoodlums numbering about 100 invaded the community and started shooting sporadically. Bullets hit one Waheed Buhari and his daughter, Mariam. While Buhari died, the daughter is still at the hospital. Two other unidentified corpses were found, making a total of three deaths.

“Information from eyewitnesses showed that the hoodlums were militants and they came from the riverine area. But we have not confirmed this, as investigations are ongoing. We are particularly interested in why they came in such a large number.”

Credit: Punch Newspaper

Like Lagos', Buhari cancels Visit To Niger Delta

President Muhammadu Buhari has canceled at the last minute a visit planned for Thursday to the oil-producing Niger Delta, which has been hit by a wave of militant attacks, a government source said. 

President Buhari Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will instead visit the restive southern region to launch a cleanup program of the Ogoniland, an area badly hit by oil spills, the source said, without giving a reason for Buhari’s cancellation, reports Reuters. 

Buhari had already skipped a visit to the commercial capital Lagos in the south last month at the last minute. Posters with his picture had been already hung up to welcome the president before his spokesman cited “scheduling” difficulties. 

It would have been the first visit of the former military ruler to the Delta since taking office in May last year. 

Critics have accused Buhari, a Muslim from the north, of ignoring the predominately Christian south. The southern Delta swamps have been hit by a series of militant attacks on oil and gas pipelines which have brought Nigeria’s oil output to a 20-year low. 

Hours after the announcement of Buhari’s visit to the swamps on Tuesday the Niger Delta Avengers militant group, which has claimed several attacks on Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell facilities, issued a warning to oil firms that their “facilities and personnel will bear the brunt of our fury”. 

The Avengers have accused Buhari of ignoring local problems. Buhari said on Sunday the government would hold talks with leaders in Nigeria’s main oil-producing region to address their grievances, in a bid to stop a surge in pipeline attacks. Residents in the swamp areas have for years complained about oil industry pollution and about economic marginalization by the government. 

Local officials and Western allies such as Britain have told Buhari that moving army reinforcements to the Delta region would not be enough to stop the attacks and that the population’s grievances should be dealt with. 425 0 2 0 

Vanguard News