State Of Emergency Canvassed On Pro-arm Struggle Communities

A non-governmental organisation, Nigeria’s Peace and Development Advocates, has advocated the imposition of a state of emergency on any territory where some groups took up arms against the Nigerian state.

The group made the call yesterday in Enugu while briefing journalists on the gruesome murder of men and officers of the Nigerian Army at Okuama community in Delta State by Okuama youths and sponsored militants.

The national coordinator of the group, Hon Chukwunonye Okereke, who spoke on behalf of the organisation said the development is the most unacceptable act of treason and an act against the Nigerian State.

He maintained that the soldiers have paid the ultimate price in the war between Nigerian Nation and her plunderers in the oil rich Niger Delta.

He noted that what is going on in Niger Delta is mindless criminality of oil bunkerers, adding that the mousing owls have begun to hawk on the gallant officers to give way for their continued divestments of collective patrimony in the Niger Delta.

Okereke said they have watched with dismay how opinion moulders and public affair analysts allegedly  sponsored by these actors have carried out mindless dance on the graves of the slain soldiers.

“These characters who sometimes masquerade as national figures have so mindlessly done flimsy and unfounded arguments brought forward on national television. We state without fear of equivocation that such support for the opprobrious carnage and brigandage is tantamount an ‘accessory after the fact’ of the treason felony.

“Let us be clear, the original crime and subsequent support are treason felonies and a clear declaration of war on the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We make bold to state that it is meant to cause fear on the Commander in Chief of the armed forces and to decimate the symbol of authority of the Nigerian state (soldiers) carrying out authorised legitimate military operations.

“When these sponsored commentators ask what were the Nigeria soldiers doing in Okuama, one begins to wonder whether it is not in the public domain that Nigeria military is involved in internal security operations throughout the country.

“It is understandable that soldiers of ‘Operation Delta Safe’ in the ordinary course of duty were in Okuama to interface with the elders to secure the release of a Nigerian that was taken hostage by Okuama youths, unknown to them that people in authority insulated by immunity had authorised their massacre to intimidate the Nigerian state and instill fear in the Commander in Chief, thereby making Nigeria ungovernable for their selfish political and economic gains.

“We therefore, cannot allow the president and the Nigerian state to be intimidated and reduced to a banana republic where people who enjoy the instrument of power are using their resources to intimidate the state,” he said.