By: Our Correspondent
In its bid to curtail the increasing bombing of oil pipelines in the Niger Delta region, the military has made a demand on residents of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta State to produce ex militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemokpolo alias Tompolo, members of the Niger Delta Avengers or remain incommunicado.
Tompolo was since declared wanted by Buhari’s federal government while the Niger Delta Avengers have claimed responsibility for the bombing of oil and gas installations in the region in the past few weeks forcing oil companies to evacuate staff and also stop operations.
Sources also hinted that all communication networks such as MTN, Glo, Airtel, Etisalat and others have been disabled on the orders of the military high command.
At present, all movements in and out of the kingdom including all the waterways have been blocked by the military.
Residents have raised alarm over human rights violations by soldiers who have been accused of molestation, torture and abduction of the residents in order to get information from them.
“They have cut all our communication lines. We cannot reach anybody. The soldiers have blocked everywhere demanding that we produce Tompolo and the militant avengers.
“We do not know how many people have been killed as many people cannot be located after they started shooting everywhere. How do we produce people we clearly lack knowledge of their whereabouts”, a resident told Pointblanknews.com.
“Many people have relocated to the forest. This is unfair. How do we feed our children. How do we go to the farm. How do you volunteer information under torture?
“They dragged an 80-year old man from his house, beat him up and demanded
information from him while torturing him”, he lamented.
They appealed to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and President Mohammadu Buhari to call the military to order as they were violating the rights of innocent Oporoza residents.
