Soldiers swoop on ex-agitators, arrest 5 as IYC members escape death by the whiskers

Soldiers in the Niger Delta, weekend, swooped on former militants, arresting many, injuring some while members of the Ijaw Youth Council narrowly escaped death.

- Soldiers have arrested former militants and detained them in DSS cells in Abuja

- They were arrested during several raids in their residence, the latest being in Warri, Delta state

- Spokesman of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Eric Omare, condemns the action

Soldiers in the Niger Delta, weekend, swooped on former militants, arresting many, injuring some while members of the Ijaw Youth Council narrowly escaped death by the whiskers.

The invasion took place on Saturday July 7 when one ex-agitator, Bounanawei Smith, popularly known as King of the forest, hosted some members of the IYC in his Warri residence when the soldiers had a crack down on them and whisked him away.

Soldiers ready for action

It was learnt that the soldiers ransacked the ex-militant’s guest house where he hosted the IYC members shooting sporadically into his apartment, a development which led to his guests scampering for safety.

Spokesman of the IYC, Eric Omare, told NAIJ.com that Bounanawei Smith was handcuffed and led away like a common criminal by the security agents.

Omare, who wondered at such action of the military when the ex-militant had accepted the amnesty of the federal government and also assisting the Delta state government to resolve the crisis in the state, said if the military had any issue against him, the best was to invite him for questioning.

READ ALSO: IYC doubts Buhari's move to negotiate with militants

He said such invasion and unlawful arrest has become the norm in the army, adding that “on January 1, 2017 while the entire world was celebrating the new year, military officers invaded Gbaraun community, Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa state, sporadically shot into the community, arrested a youth leader, Kalami Saturday Inakemeduo under the guise that he is a militant and he is currently being detained up till this moment.

“This is in addition to several other Ijaw youths languishing in military detention such as Aboy Muturu, Ezekiel Daniel, Victor Odogu (IYC Spokesman, Abuja Chapter) and several others. These persons have been in DSS and military detention for more than eight months without trial and no reason has been given for their arrest”.

Former militants in the Niger Delta

Omare said the action of the federal government is tantamount to inciting crisis in the region as ex-agitators are being arrested and detained without trial in DSS cells in Abuja.

The IYC which condemned the primitive action of the soldiers, said the forceful arrest of the repentant militants and other Niger Deltans has grave implications for the peace and security programme of the federal government in the Niger Delta.

The group said: “Nigerians and the world need to be reminded that such oppressive tendencies partly gave birth to the militancy in the Niger Delta region. It would be recalled that the killing of the peaceful Ken Saro Wiwa gave birth to the militant dimension to the Niger Delta agitation.

READ ALSO: FG resumes payment for former Niger Delta militants

“There is no basis to arrest and continually detain citizens of Nigeria without trial. Nigeria is almost in dictatorship under President Buhari where the fundamental rights of citizens are no longer protected.

Soldier intimidating Niger Deltans

“These arrests are capable of truncating the Niger Delta peace process. We are surprised that in one breath the federal government is sending Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to Gbaramatu, Delta State to kick start the peace process on Tuesday January 10, 2017 and in another breath invading and arresting ex-agitators like Bounanawei Smith.

“The IYC call for the immediate release of Bounanawei Smith and other Ijaws in detention such as Aboy Muturu, Ezekiel Daniel, Victor Odogu, Kalami Saturday Inakemeduo and others.

“Nigerians and the international community should hold President Buhari responsible for a complete breakdown of law and order in the Niger Delta as a result of the thoughtless and illegal actions of military officers under his command.

“The military actions in the Niger Delta are becoming unbearable and Niger Deltans may be forced to resist them. The United Nations and the international community is once again put on notice of the looming danger in the Niger Delta as a result of the actions of the Buhari administration”.