Bille Deserted As Army Invades Community …IYC, Others Condemn Action

Tuoma and Oruoma communities in Bille Kingdom, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, have been deserted following the alleged invasion of the communities by members of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF).
Consequently, the communities have called on the Rivers State Government to intervene to save the people from total extermination.
Speaking with The Tide, last Monday, the Secretary of Tuoma Community, Opiriyagbo Oferi Isaac said that, at least, 20 buildings in the community were razed by the JTF during the operation.
Isaac appealed to the Rivers State Government and the Army High Command to intervene and save the people of the community.
“The Nigerian Army invaded my community and also set ablaze some buildings following sporadic gun shots. There were a lot of casualties; some of them are still missing in the bush. Some have been taken to the nearby hospital in Bille for first aid treatment.
“The leadership of the community has not been told the reason for the invasion. We are now calling on the state government and the Army authorities, in charge of the JTF to call them to order and also to free the sea route for the Bille people and their satellite communities,” Isaac appealed.
In his reaction, the Chairman, Bille Kingdom Community Development Committee, Asatubo Igbanibo Kemuel, said that the soldiers impounded seven passenger boats plying the Bille waterways for about nine hours.
Kemuel confirmed that one person sustained several bullet injuries while others had fled the community to unknown locations.
“The soldiers came in several gunboats and other speedboats numbering about eight and raided Touma community, burning down houses and destroying a lot of property worth several millions of Naira.
“Residents of Touma community were forced to flee for safety, and at present, many persons are reported missing.
“One person, Mr Profit Joseph, a resident of Touma community, sustained severe injuries as a result of gunshots by the Army,” Kemuel said.
However, in a statement jointly signed by the President, Bille Kingdom Youth Council, Obirabi Sylvanus and the CDC Chairman, Asatubo Kemuel, the community lamented that the action of the soldiers may not be unconnected with last week’s attack on an Army House Boat by yet-to-be-identified persons.
The Tide investigation revealed that residents of both communities, most of whom are fisher folks, have since the military operation, been denied access to their only sources of livelihood, thereby triggering untold hardship and starvation in the communities.
Some of the people, who were scheduled to travel to Port Harcourt for one business transaction or the other, were also denied the opportunity to meet their desired needs, thereby making it impossible for them to realise their dreams of achieving economic prosperity and empowerment.
Meanwhile, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has condemned the JTF invasion of Tuoma and Oruoma communities in Degema LGA, saying that the suspected reprisal attacks were unnecessary.
In its reaction to the attacks, National Treasurer, IYC, Luckyman Agiela, said that several people have been displaced and others missing since last Monday when the soldiers invaded the two communities and shot sporadically.
“As I am talking to you now, some persons are still in the bush, a lot of people are still missing. Yesterday, movement along the Bille waterways was suspended. They did not allow any boat to and from Bille for the whole day.
“As a result, economic activities were shut down. They left Tuoma community and went to Oruoma community, and did the same thing,” Agiela noted.
However, in his remarks, the spokesperson, IYC Worldwide, Daniel Dasimaka, condemned the action of the militants who had earlier attacked the military personnel in the area.
“IYC as the national body, we want to condemn, in its totality, the attack on the military by hoodlums. We understand that they attacked the House Boat belonging to JTF, carted away some arms and killed some military personnel. We cannot take side evil and criminality, so, we condemn the action of the militants, and call on the security agencies to ensure that the culprits are arrested and brought to book.
“We also condemn this act of the military. We expected the military to act professionally instead of displaying acts that suggest they are also militants,” Dasimaka added.
The Nigerian Army, while confirming the Army operation in Tuoma and Oruoma in Bille Kingdom, urged the public to avoid attacking soldiers deployed to protect innocent citizens.
The Army’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Aliyu Iliasu, condemned the allegation of military invasion of the communities, saying that the soldiers were in the communities on official security operations to checkmate any untoward acts by hoodlums in the area.
The Army spokesman, however, said he would give details of the alleged operations in Tuoma and Oruoma communities, and cautioned people against mistaking military operations as acts of invasion.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana