Soldiers have again, in a matter of hours, pounced on another community in Gbaramatu kingdom, Kurutie (Little London) in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State. They stormed the town in six gunboats at about 4.30 am this morning, allegedly looking for members of the Niger Delta Avengers, the Vanguard reports.
Residents awakened from sleep, quickly scurried into the bush on hearing the sound of the gunboats. The soldiers, on arrival immediately cordoned the community and embarked on a house to house search.
“I am looking at the soldiers from a hideout in the bush; they are going from house to house. We know their tactics, so we ran away when they landed this morning at the jetty in the town, belonging to Tompolo’s father,” an informant told Vanguard on phone at about 5.30am.
Tompolo himself has constantly denied having anything to do with the Niger Delta Avengers. However, the military seemed not to trust him.
It was learnt that Tompolo’s father was not in Kurutie, when soldiers came, but an over 70-year-old man, simply identified as Do Good Ikekama, is among the citizens allegedly molested and forced to take the soldiers around some homes.
Ijaw leader, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, who spoke to Vanguard at about 6.00 am, confirmed the invasion. He said that despite the appeal by the Gbaramatu monarch, HRM Oboro Gbaraun II, to the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brigadier General Paul Boroh (retd) that the soldiers should be professional in their duties, they were still harassing people.
The soldiers left the community around 6.30am .
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