Death Toll in Attack On Ijaw Village Rises to 8

Vanguard (Lagos)
NEWS
December 8, 2003
Posted to the web December 8, 2003

By Osaro Okhomina

WARRI,THE death toll in the last Thursday's alleged arson attack on
Uyiukuegbeni, an Ijaw community in the riverine area of Warri rose, last
weekend, to eight (8) persons, including two aged women. But leaders of the
Ijaw in Warri yesterday called for restraints in any planned reprisal attack in
the interest of allowing the various peace processes to work.
According to the leader of the Federated Niger-Delta Ijaw Communities, Chief
Oboko Bello, the rise in death was due to the gunshot wounds sustained after
the Joint Security Task Force, Operation Restore Hope, headed by Brig. Gen.
Elias Zamani deployed helicopter gunships to shoot indiscriminately at the
warring youths.
He said four more persons died Saturday night, from gun shots wounds sustained
during the attack at Uyukuigbeni. "We have just recorded more deaths from those
shot by the helicopter deployed to curb the arson on our community. Two aged
mothers died yesterday (Saturday) due to the shooting by the soldiers, not the
Itsekiri youths.
"At the time of the attack, two youths that saw the level of arson going on and
rushed to pursue fleeing Itsekiri youths, were gun down by the helicopter of
the Task Force. And others in the bush were hit by bullets."
Chief Bello said "it has gone a lot to show that the Task Force is operating
the agenda of the Itsekiri."
The Ijaw group, also yesterday through its Delta State Secretary stated in a
press statement that all Ijaw communities have been called upon not to embark
on any reprisal attack. Although, the Joint Security Task Force, Operation
Restore Hope, had deployed more troops to the area, the atmosphere along the
riverine communities is tense.
A source, told Vanguard that the tension between the two ethnic groups, the
Ijaw and Itsekiri arose from an alleged superiority battle reportedly sponsored
by some top officials of a multi-national oil company operating in the state.
However, speaking on behalf of the Task Force, its spokesman, Major S. Hammed
dismissed the increase in death due to helicopter shooting saying no one was
killed by the Task Force.

   

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