Military troops in Bayelsa State have carried out a retaliatory operation in Letugbene community of the state after gunmen ambushed and killed four soldiers in the area.
Multiple security sources confirmed to Channels Television that a team of soldiers returning from the community on Monday fell into an ambush laid by armed youths believed to be militants.
Investigation revealed that the militants overpowered the soldiers, seized their arms, moved them to a location in the creeks and shot them dead.
But the boatman who is a civilian was said to have escaped the attack as he reportedly jumped into the water before he was shot by the hoodlums.
An Ijaw youth leader and Chairman of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Central Zone, Mr Tare Porri, also confirmed the attack.
He condemned the incident and described the killing of the soldiers as “bizarre and unprovoked”, saying the zonal leadership of the council would meet later on Thursday to discuss the issue and other problems affecting the zone.
Pori was, however, worried that the action of the suspected militants had pushed the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe (ODS) to begin a military operation in Letugbene and Ebelabiri.
He said residents in the area accused the military of burning down houses and destroying properties in the operation launched to fish out the perpetrators.
“Two days ago (Tuesday), four military officers were killed in cold blood alongside other civilians. Military officers went to Letugbene community and on their way back, some persons accosted them and killed all of them,” he said.
“Only one of them escaped. Military, yesterday (Wednesday) morning, retaliated, invaded the communities and burnt down houses. The operations are still ongoing and it is spreading to other communities like Ebelabiri.”
Also, a security commander, who confirmed the attack, lamented the rising cases of killing of security agents and called for measures to be adopted to stop the trend.
“Security operatives are now endangered species. It is unacceptable the way security agents are killed by people they dedicated their lives to protect.
“In Bayelsa, policemen, civil defenders, and soldiers are constantly killed. It is barbaric”, the commander, who spoke in confidence said.
A police source, who also spoke in confidence, confirmed that only soldiers were killed in the attack, adding that the civilian attached to the soldiers escaped.
Efforts to get responses from the Commander of the JTF, Rear Admiral Suleiman Apochi, yielded no results as he failed to reply to text messages sent to him on the matter.
Meanwhile, the Ijaw People development Initiative(IPDI) in statement by its National President, Comrade Austin Ozobo condemned the burning down of Letugbene community and killing of military personnel suspected bandits.
The statement said, “Our attention has been drawn to the killing of innocent civilians and military personnel by suspected sea bandits and the subsequent burning of harmless Letugbene community in Ekeremo Local government area ,Bayelsa State on Tuesday.
“We learnt some military personnel and civilians were gruesomely murdered on Sunday at Letugbene and Tunu rivers and the military vented its reprisal attack on the harmless Letugbene and Bilabiri communities, resulting to burning of Letugbene community and distruction of several houses in Bilabiri in mere suspicion as result of proximity to the scene of the incident.
“We make bold to condemn the twin actions by the suspected sea bandits and the reprisal burning of sleeping innocent Letugbene community by the military.
In as much we condemn the barbaric killing of military and civilians by suspected bandits, we equally aver that Letugbene and Bilabiri communities are not criminal hideouts and that it is unprofessional for the military to have burnt Letugbene community.
The military came in a commando style with a sporadic shooting , causing unprecedented threat and panic on innocent indigenes in the community. We gathered some women and children are still missing in the bush up till this time as residents scamper for safety. We discovered that the vice chairman Akpozenebrapagha Namalate house was erroneously burnt down by the military at Letugbene community. Even if some persons are suspected or fingered in the community, such is not a enough reason to burn residents of innocent people of any community.
The military should exercise restrain in its operations in unravelling the suspected criminals. The military should endeavour to seperate innocent people from criminals in its operations and that attempt to punish the innocent for offence it know nothing about will only show how unprofessional Nigeria military is. Several of such barbaric killings against the military appears to be daily routine in the north but non of such communities where these incidents are happening are being burnt down.
It is our candid call that the military should stop further burning of innocent Ijaw communities in Niger Delta region if they are not a security threat in the region. We equally aver that the perpetrators should be unravelled in no distance time and that Ijaw youths should repent from things that are capable of causing disaffection in their communities. It is our appeal that arrested persons should be released and houses burnt be rebuild by relevant authorities responsible for the burning of the community.
Signed
Comrade Ozobo Austin
National president Ijaw People developmentInitiative, IPDI.
