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JTF sacks community, releases kidnapped monarch’s daughter
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Niger Delta's Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) members in action...
The government military Joint TaskForce (JTF) in Rivers State has sacked members of the Okporowo community in Ogbakiri, Emohua Local Government council of the state.
The attack came on the heels of the kidnap of one Blessing, the daughter of Samuel Onyegbule, a prominent chief in Omagwa, the host community of Port Harcourt International Airport.
Trouble started when the kidnappers paid deaf ears to the instruction of the JTF men to release their victim on or before a week’s time.
When the deadline expired, the JTF military men stormed the area (Ogbakiri) Sunday evening and arrested one of the youth leaders, whose name was given as Dandy.
Irked by the arrest of the youth leader, the youths pounced on the chiefs, beating them up and destroying their buildings.
On hearing the report, the JTF men stormed the area again yesterday. The attack forced members of the community to take to their heels, for fear of gun battle between the youths and the JTF military men.
The youths claimed the chiefs were instrumental to the arrest of their leader.
Meanwhile, as at the time of filing this report, the kidnapped girl was said to have regained her freedom, which came from the exploits of the JTF intervention.
In another development, the Care-Taker Committee chairman of Emohua local government council, Sam Ogeh, has sacked all political appointees in his local government, who are indigenes of Okporowo community.
BusinessDay gathered that Oghakiri community has been engaged in an internecine war over the past ten years, which had claimed the lives of many prominent sons and daughters of the area, like Igatin Alikor, one-time state Director of the State Security Services (SSS) who was brutally killed in July 1997.
Also, properties worth millions of naira have been destroyed in the communal hostilities.
When contacted through her cell phone, the spokesperson of the Rivers State Police command, Ireju Barasua confirmed the incident.
She said the situation was now under control.
Trouble started when the kidnappers paid deaf ears to the instruction of the JTF men to release their victim on or before a week’s time.
When the deadline expired, the JTF military men stormed the area (Ogbakiri) Sunday evening and arrested one of the youth leaders, whose name was given as Dandy.
Irked by the arrest of the youth leader, the youths pounced on the chiefs, beating them up and destroying their buildings.
On hearing the report, the JTF men stormed the area again yesterday. The attack forced members of the community to take to their heels, for fear of gun battle between the youths and the JTF military men.
The youths claimed the chiefs were instrumental to the arrest of their leader.
Meanwhile, as at the time of filing this report, the kidnapped girl was said to have regained her freedom, which came from the exploits of the JTF intervention.
In another development, the Care-Taker Committee chairman of Emohua local government council, Sam Ogeh, has sacked all political appointees in his local government, who are indigenes of Okporowo community.
BusinessDay gathered that Oghakiri community has been engaged in an internecine war over the past ten years, which had claimed the lives of many prominent sons and daughters of the area, like Igatin Alikor, one-time state Director of the State Security Services (SSS) who was brutally killed in July 1997.
Also, properties worth millions of naira have been destroyed in the communal hostilities.
When contacted through her cell phone, the spokesperson of the Rivers State Police command, Ireju Barasua confirmed the incident.
She said the situation was now under control.
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