Why Army Invaded Ogoniland -Monarch

R-L: Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, Chairman of the state Council of Traditional Rulers/ Amanyanabo of Opobo, King Dandeson Jaja and Rivers State Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr John Bazia, during the 103rd Quarterly meeting of Rivers Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt ,yesterday

A royal father in Ogoni, Rivers State, chief Barinadaa T.O. Gbaranee has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) Senatorial and House of Representatives candidates, Senator Magnus Abe and Barry Mpigi, respectively, gave him and Ex-militant leader, Solomon Ndigbara the sum of N5.1 million to support them in the March 19, re-run elections in the area.
Gbaranee disclosed this Monday, while testifying before the House of Representatives Committee on Army at a public hearing on Ogoni killings at the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex in Port Harcourt.
Gbaranee, who is the paramount ruler of Yeghe Community in Gokana Local Government Area of the State, explained that, Abe and Mpigi assembled Solomon Ndigbara and his supporters in his palace and gave N5 million to the ex-militant leader to support APC in the just cancelled re-run elections of March 19, 2016 in Ogoniland.
According to him, the political gladiators gave him N100,000.00 for drinks, after they begged him to talk to Ndigbara, who told them that the N5 million he received was for all the past support and sacrifices he made for them during the administration of former Governor Chibuike Amaechi in the state.
The royal father attributed the alleged invasion and killings by soldiers and the destruction of Solomon Ndigbara’s house in Yeghe to the refusal of the ex-militant leader to support the APC candidates in the March 19, rerun elections in the area.
The paramount ruler, who is also a member of Rivers State Council of traditional Rulers, also told the Committee that, Mpigi had already warned Ndigbara to return the money or he would face difficult crisis, which he said, was the invasion and demolition of Ndigbara’s house and killings in Ogoni.
He urged the Committee to be fair in their finding, saying that Ogoni, and Yeghe in particular, have not known peace since the invasion of soldiers in the area.
Gbaranee also urged the committee to ensure that, compensation was paid to those whose houses were destroyed and loved one killed in the crisis.
The royal father also urged the Committee to ensure that, all those involved in sponsoring the soldiers and the crisis in the area were brought to face prosecution to serve as deterrent to other politicians in the country and Rivers in particular.

Enoch Epelle