Ijaws Demand N99billion from FG over May 2009 Military JTF Killing, destruction of Communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom

Ijaws Demands N99billion from FG over May 2009 Military JTF Killing, destruction of Communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom

* As Bello Oboko Commends Okowa For Driving Ibori's Roadmap to Peace in Warri

President of the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities, Chief (Dr.) Bello Oboko has tasked the Federal Government, FG, to prevail on oil companies not to operate behind military terror in order to show respect for human dignity and freedom.

Oboko spoke at a simple ceremony put together by indigenes of Gbaramatu Kingdom to mark this year's Gbaramatu Freedom Day, weekend, in Warri. He also called for payment of the Federal High Court, Asaba, fine of N99billion against the Federal Government over its May 2009 Major-Gen Sarkin Yarki Bello-led military JTF killing of innocent humans and destruction of several communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom including Okerenkoko, Oporoza, Kunukunuma, Kurutie, Kokodiagbene.

Oboko however commended Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State for driving the Warri roadmap to peace designed by former Governor James Ibori by "supporting emergence of Chairman of Ijaw extraction for the first time in Warri North local government area in the last council polls".

"FNDIC and the good people of Gbaramatu Kingdom declared May 15th every year to mark/celebrate Gbaramatu Freedom Day to condemn the scourge of slavery across the globe and request authorities in Nigeria to uphold and promote acts of freedom", Oboko said.

Oboko recalled: "Militarization of oil operations which provokes fear and death does not promote human dignity and freedom and remained condemned. In May 2009, my reported claim the military killed innocent citizens and destroyed communities was denied by the invading military JTF. But my voice was amplified by Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, who equally described the invasion in genocidal terms while Amnesty International which investigated also reportedly accused the military of "illegal killings". The Army headquarters/FG which later found reports of the alleged killings "disturbing" and which admitted military operations in the area called for ceasefire and eventually granted Amnesty to alleged militants".

"The reports are available and there. I faulted the claim of the military in 2009 that the creek war against the people was because soldiers escorting oil equipment came under attack. If attacking soldiers was a dream, same soldiers guarding the oil terminals would long be easy targets", Oboko stated.

Oboko stressed that by their own admission, the military and the oil companies were guilty of the standing position of the international organizations of conscience who stated since 1999 that "no responsible oil company can operate behind the terror of armed soldiers".

The Gbaramatu leader stated that the international position against militarization of oil operations was there years before the Federal High Court gavelled the 2009 military killings and destruction of Gbaramatu Ijaw Communities as illegal.

Going down memory lane, Oboko said in May 2018, FNDIC in publications noted that "freedom for us means peaceful relations with our ethnic neighbours". He said FNDIC appealed to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to use Ibori's "roadmap to peace in Warri" model to rekindle the "balance which the British colonial government and subsequent post-independence governments used to stabilize relationships".

"We therefore see the peaceful emergence of the first Ijaw Chairman in Warri North local government area in Hon. Smart Asekutu as keeping in step with Ibori's roadmap to peace in Warri as it seeks "balance that stabilizes relationships" in the area. We commend Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for creating a sense of belonging and balance by this step and thank our neighbours for their cooperation", Oboko said.

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