Our correspondent
The military task force has banned the use of 200 horse power engine boats in the waterways of the communities in Delta State, decried the dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed on the riversides by the Joint Military Task Force operating in the area following sustained bombing of oil pipelines by militant group, Niger Delta Avengers.
This is coming in the wake of renewed attacks on pipelines by the militant group.
Affected mainly are Warri South West, Warri North, Warri South, Patani, Bomadi and Burutu Council Areas of the oil rich state.
Besides, the communities bemoaned what they termed as the “militarization of the oil rich Niger Delta region by the federal government”.
Findings by Pointblanknews.com show that passengers plying the waterways have been made to pass through tough times as they are frisked at every security check point before proceeding to their destinations.
Residents of the communities see this ‘’ugly development’’ as an infringement on their fundamental human rights of freedom of movement.
A former Delta State Commissioner for Special Duties, Ambassador Joel Bisina, took the military to the cleaners over the restriction on movement of the riverside people and ‘’the siege by the military’’ on their communities.
According to him, the issue has no bearing with the vandalism of pipelines, explaining that the military has been in the region long enough to know the perpetrators of the economic crime.
Ambassador Bisina, who is also a development and anti-terrorism expert, argued that if the JTF is incapable of identifying the brains behind the series of bombings in the state and the region, the federal government should cede the security of the pipelines to the locals who are familiar with the terrain.
He also expressed worries about the proliferation of light and small arms in the region, saying that the development portends a grave danger for the region if not immediately checked.
He wondered how the arms got to their hands and knocked security agencies over the access of ‘’non state actors’’ to arms, and called for proper coordination of the various security apparatus.
On whether the amnesty programme has failed due to the resurgence of insurgency, he blamed the federal government for being insincere in the implementation of the agreement to the letter.
‘’If the aspect of environmental remediation and infrastructure were taken side by side with the implementation of amnesty programme, the level of unemployment will have been reduced because those trained will have had employment through involvement in infrastructure development and environmental remediation processes. So, there is a disconnect’’, he said.
Spokesperson of the Joint Task Force, code named ‘’Operation Pulo Shield’’, Colonel Isa Ado, could not be reached for comment as his phone was switched off.
Meanwhile, Delta State Government has raised an advocacy committee with a mandate to stop vandalism of pipelines and it is headed by the Deputy , Barrister Kingsley Otuaro, a kinsman of the wanted ex-war lord, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo.
The deputy governor has since visited some prominent monarchs to preach the message to them. Barrister Otuaro who visited the Itsekiri, Egbema and Gbaramatu monarchs, said the state government was disturbed by the current spate of oil facility destruction in the state and that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa directed him to ask the royal fathers to assist government to nab the masterminds and bring the precarious situation under control.
He noted that any further attacks on oil facility will worsen the already ‘’bad situation’’ as the country was neck deep in economic quagmire as a result of the fall in oil revenues.
Both monarchs, Ogiame Ikonwoli and Agadagba of Egbema Kingdom, expressed dismay over the unholy activities of the Avengers as their activities were giving the state a bad name.
