NIGERIA LOSES N5.3TRN TO N-DELTA MILITANCY

NIGERIA: JTF'S INVASION ON ODIOMA NOT AUTHORIZED - ARMY

Three years after the destruction of the ancient coastal town of Odioma in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State by men of Joint Task Force, the military high command has broken its silence on the matter saying the President did not authorize any military operation in the community neither is it proper for the JTF to conduct a unilateral operation.

The coastal settlement of Odioma, one of the oldest communities in the Nembe Kingdom was invaded and reduced to rubbles by a combined team of army and navy under the auspices of the Joint


Taskforce at the invitation of the former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha in the wake of the killing of 12 persons including four councilors allegedly on peace mission to Obioku along the Nembe creek by unknown gunmen.

The Defence Headquarters position is contained in a paper tendered before the House of Representatives Investigative Hearing into the Petition by Odioma community made available to Vanguard in Yenagoa.

Testifying before the House, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Andrew Azazi, who was represented by Rear Admiral M. Ajadi and Navy Captain A.K Owho-Chuku of the Defence Headquarters said there was no where in the military records or any where else to indicate that the Joint Task Force carried out the alleged operation in Odioma on February 19, 2005.

The position of Defence headquarters read in part: "To start with, there is nothing in our records or anywhere else to show that the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta carried out the alleged operation in Odioma on February 19, 2005.

In the usual military tradition, every incident deserving of attention, is usually reported to an appropriate superior authority.

But in the instant case, it was neither reported to any military authorities nor made public through newspapers, radios etc, considering the magnitude and scale of destruction in the alleged JTF operations in Odioma.

"It shall be noted that on February 19, 2005, neither did the President and Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) nor any other person exercising authority under his hands, ordered any military operation in Odioma.

"It is common knowledge that the Armed Forces was operationally used by the President and Commander-in-Chief in 1999 and 2001 (these dates are liable to confirmation) in Odi and Zaki Biam, Bayelsa State and Benue State respectively.

"The military as an age long institution has an established procedure for handling allegations or reports of this nature. In the first place, on receiving a report such as this, a board of inquiry is convened by the appropriate superior authority to whom the report is made. Thereafter, a court martial may be ordered depending on the findings of the board of inquiry."

"In this case, neither was a report made nor an investigation conducted. How then would any right thinking person conclude that the JTF carried out military operations in Odioma. The answer is neither here nor there.

"The president did not order any military operation in Odioma, neither is it proper for the JTF to conduct a unilateral operation."

The community had in a petition to the house of representatives dated December 10, 2007 signed by King Cadbury Omieh (Igoni XXI) the Amanayabo of Odioma kingdom lamented that the unwarranted attack and destruction of his community has left them traumatized, depressed, deprived, alienated and displaced and pleaded with the lawmakers to compel the state and federal government to come to their aid.