The people of Ke community in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State have cried out over incessant military invasion in their community and activities of sea pirates in the area.
The spokesman of Concerned Citizens of Ke community, Mr Sogbeye Pokubo, dropped the hint, yesterday in Port Harcourt in a press briefing.
He said that for about four years, the community had been consistently invaded by the military for reasons unknown to members of the community.
The Ke concerned citizens spokesman lamented that whenever the Army had any issue around their area and on the Sombrero river, the army must invade the community.
He stated specifically that in August, 2015, two military personnel, who were killed in Bayelsa State were blamed on members of the Ke community, who did not know anything about such killing.
Pokubo said that a soldier who was killed on the Sombrero River immediately before the last National and State Assembly re-run elections in Rivers State was blamed on the community.
He regretted that for the above reasons the army had to invade the community without investigating to know the truth.
The spokesman called on the military authorities to call their men to order and always investigate such issues and bring the culprits to book, instead of attacking innocent people of Ke community.
Pokubo noted that the community had also been passing through difficult times as a result of activities of sea pirates on their water ways.
He stressed that as a result of activities of sea pirates on their water ways and around the community, economic and commercial activities had been paralysed.
The spokesman said Ke people who were predominantly fishermen could no longer carry out their fishing activities on the seas and in the swamps.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Ke Community Development Committee (CDC), Mr Jersey Agina-Ogazi, said the community had been deserted by residents as a result of military invasion.
He noted that the community was also deserted because of incessant activities of sea pirates on their waterways and in the mangrove swamps.
‘’If you come to the community now, you can’t see anybody, most people including traders, government officials, fishermen, women, men have all run away for their dear lives,‘’ he added.
The people called on government, the military and relevant authorities to create a military formation around the Ke community to checkmate activities of sea pirates on their waterways.
They lamented that there was so much starvation and hunger taking place in the community as result of activities of sea pirates and military invasion.