By: Feghalo Nsuke
As the rest of Ogoni heave a sigh of relief following the launch of the implementation of the recommendations of the UNEP Report on Ogoniland, natives of one of the communities in Tai Local Government Area called KPORGHOR are counting their losses and beckoning beseechingly to their Ogoni brothers to save them from the hands of their neighbouring communities in Ogu-Bolo Local Government Area and their allies across the entire Okrika.
In the year 2000, precisely on January 4, while some natives of Kporghor were at their traditional headquarters, Bori, for the Ogoni Day celebration, heavily armed gunmen from a neighbouring community in Ogu-Bolo called Wakama, which grew from a fishing port in the mid-19th century to her present community status, mobilised support from the entire Okrika ethnic nationality (cutting across Ogu-Bolo and Wakirike (Okrika) LGAs and launched an unprovoked attack on Kporghor, killing people and destroying ALL their houses and other property. Those who fled the carnage took refuge in neighbouring communities in Tai. They were on exile for ten months, during which the Okrika people made good their mission of territorial expansion by aggressively occupying several hectares of Ogoni land at Kporghor. On 21 October 2000, a truce was brokered between the two communities and Kporghor people gradually returned home to resettle and rebuild their community.
Few years later, after the Okrika people had exhausted the portion of Ogoni land they forcibly acquired during the war period, they resumed fresh rounds of hostilities again. These culminated in another onslaught on 21 December 2014. On that day, as usual, their mobilised forces from Ogu and Okrika and attacked Kporghor, killing two young men, one of whom was a native of Kporghor and the other a native of Kono Bo-ue who was resident in Kporghor. Kporghor people alerted their brothers from other Ogoni communities as they have always done during such attacks but no help came from anywhere. The Okrika people repeated the attack again on 4 January 2015, killed more persons and destroyed several houses. It is painfully interesting to note that the former Governor of the State, Rufu s Ada George, bought arms for all Okrika communities during his tenure and President Jonathan and his wife sent much more sophisticated arms and ammunition during the former’s tenure as President of Nigeria.
The attack of 21 December 2014 is still on till now (June 2016) and the people of Kporghor have been on exile since then–only a few brave youths compelled by the dire straits the people generally face were able to secretly go to the village to forage for food until the most recent attack and permanent occupation. Sometime last year, after blowing up ALL the houses in Kporghor with heavy explosives they went as far as Gio and Kira. At Kira they shot many persons from different communities in Ogoni and killed over six (6), also from different communities, including two from Bunu Tai and one Solomon Aleelo, a native of Kira who was beheaded right in his house and his head taken to their grand commander in Okrika. One person from Y eghe in Gokana LGA and another from Gwara Zaakpo were among those killed. Few months later, they invaded Borobara in Tai and killed 7 natives of Kporghor who were taking refuge at Borobara. The Governor, instead of setting up a high-power panel to resolve the crisis, directed the then Commissioner of Police to handle the matter. The CP set up what he called a Peace and Reconciliation Panel made up of persons from Tai and Ogu-Bolo LGAs, with a lawyer from Ogu-Bolo as Chairman and a Tai man as Secretary. It is obvious that there is nothing such an improperly constituted panel could achieve. To make matters worse, the current Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police, Mr. Sotonye Wakama, who is from Wakama community has been supplying more arms and ammunitions to them.
On Wednesday, 1 June 2016, the Okrika people sent words across that they WILL NOT ALLOW the clean up, which is part of the recommendations of the UNEP Report, take place in Kporghor, Gio, Gbam, Ekporo (which remains sacked since 2011 till date), and parts of K-Dere and Bodo City. To match words with action, they stormed Kporghor on Saturday, 4 June 2016 and destroyed the only two school buildings that were yet to be destroyed apart from the churches. The assailants numbering over 200 were wielding 2 machine guns bought for them by former President Jonathan’s wife and over 200 AK-47 and AK-49 assault rifles. They chased away the police Armoured Personnel Carrier that was sent to dispel them. Since that Saturday till now, five days after, they have permanently encamped at Kporghor, hoisted their flag and declared it as an Okrika territory. They sent words across that from there they will annex Gbam and Gio communities and that they are waiting for the Ogoni squad that can challenge their annexation/occupation.
The people of Kporghor have called on the State Governor but all to no avail. They have called on all the key national and State political office holders, past and present, of Ogoni extraction. They have also called on the kings and other categories of traditional leaders but no help has come. WHY HAVE OGONI FORSAKEN ONE OF THEIR OWN? WHEN, IN THE PAST, HAVE OGONI PEOPLE TAKEN THAT LEVEL OF INSULT AND HUMILIATION? WILL THE PRESENT GENERATION OF OGONI MORTGAGE THEIR PRIDE? PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, LET US UNITE AND LIBERATE KPORGHOR. INJURY TO ONE IS INJURY TO ALL. THEIR OLD MEN AND WOMEN ARE DYING OF HUNGER AND SICKNESS; THEIR YOUNG BOYS AND GIRLS ARE NOT ONLY HUNGRY BUT ARE ALSO OUT OF SCHOOL. THE OKRIKAS HAVE TAKEN THE JOKE TOO FAR. OKRIKA LGA IS JUST SEVEN COMMUNITIES OR THEREABOUTS, AND OGU-BOLO LGA IS MADE UP OF JUST THREE COMMUNITIES–OGU, BOLO, AND WAKAMA. LET OGONI PEOPLE RISE UP AND RECLAI THEIR TERRITORY.
Nsuke is the Publicity Secretary of Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP)
