By Kadiri Christopher
The coalition of Riverine Communities in Edo State has recently decried the recent killings of some army officers and soldiers in a suburb around Ughelli of Delta State and have pointed accusing fingers on one Endurance Amagbein from Bayelsa state.
Addressing LEGENDS NEWS, the National Coordinator of the Riverine Communities of Edo State, Comrade Ipiteikumoh Godfrey Owei said the killings were uncalled for because the army personnel were on a peace mission.
According to Comrade Owei, "we are not happy about the killings of our soldiers. We condemn it in its entirety. We are in support of one of our fathers and leader, Papa Chief Edwin Clark, when he said no stone should be left unturned in fishing out, legitimately, the criminal elements that carried out the killings of the army personnel.
"Okoloba is in Bomadi community and Okunama is in Ughelli South. They have been having crisis. It is a land dispute which is common in Nigeria. In Edo State here, we are having same issue daily and that is how it has been across the nation.
"While these two communities were having these issues, Okunama hired a notorious militant known as Endurance Amagbein. Not just hiring him, they bought three gunboats for him, they paid him several millions of naira to come and maime, kill and do all forms of brigandage act against Okoloba that happens to be an Ijaw community.
"We the Ijaws from Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa States and anywhere, we see ourselves as one. They brought him to come and wage war.
"He killed security agents. The primary role of government is to protect lives and properties. The Nigerian Army coming into the matter has not done anything wrong. Few days before the attack from the other community, the matter was reported to security agents and that was when the military embarked on that journey for a fact finding mission which was to reconcile both communities.
"It was in the process of going that information leaked to this very terrorist, Endurance Amagbein whereby himself and his gang laid an ambush in an unprovoked manner, brutally killed the army officers and soldiers. I mean very high ranking officers.
"He did not just kill them, he beheaded them, mutilated their bodies and harvested their sensitive organs and took these away. This is an act of a beast.
"It is the height of lawlessness. After carrying out the act, Endurance Amagbein has relocated to Bayelsa State.
"We are defending the civilians but we can't turn a blind eye on this dastardly act when I am aware the security agents haven't done anything wrong. That's hypocrisy", he stressed.
On his part, the spokesperson of the group, Comrade Ezekiel Daniel said, "the DSS, Police, Army and all other security agencies must arise to fish out Endurance Amagbein from his creek in Bayelsa where he is hiding right now.
"Endurance Amagbein is the one behind this dastard act. He has relocated to his camp in southern Ijaw in Bayelsa State. So, security agents should focus their satellites on that axis, burn down his militant camp and bring him and his gang to justice", he added.
Comrade Ezekiel Daniel further made a passionate appeal to the Nigerian Army to stop the destruction and burning of houses in Okunama.
According to Ezekiel, "I am appealing to the military to tamper justice with mercy. But I am fully in support of the fishing out of Endurance Amagbein so he can be brought to book".
It was however revealed from a reliable source that the Army personnel who were on a peace mission were attacked from Riverine hideouts. That upon hearing the sounds of gunshots, the Commanding officer stood up on the boat, raising a white flag which signified peace.
But the attackers ignored the semaphore and continued with the shooting of the military men who were already ambushed at the middle of the river.
Every effort to get comment from Amagbein Endurance through telephone proved abortive.
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