> > ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS ACTION (ERA) > > ERA ALERT > SOLDIERS ATTACK OIL COMMUNITIES > ? TRADITIONAL RULER, OTHERS FEARED KILLED > [By Olu Owolabi, Reporting from WARRI. Punch, Lagos, January 7, 1999, > Back page] > > Armed men attacked on Monday, two villages in Warri North Local > Government in Delta State: Opia and Ikiyan, during which some of the > villagers, including a traditional ruler, were killed. > > Narrating their experiences in Warri on Wednesday, some of the survivors > of the attacks, told newsmen that attack was in two batches, one by an > unspecified number of men who raided the villages in an aircraft. > > Shortly after the departure of the aircraft, another group of armed men > came in four speedboats to launch their attack. > > They said the aircraft, owned by an oil company, was occupied by people > in Army uniform, who stormed the villages around 2.00 p.m. on Monday, to > unleash the attack. > > They said that just a few minutes after the aircraft took off, four > speedboats with fully armed soldiers arrived the shore and fired > sporadically at the villagers. They also razed down the villages. > > According to them, after the burning down of Opia village, the invaders > moved to Ikiyan, about four kilometers to Opia, where a woman, who was > fishing, was attacked and her whereabouts still unknown. > > Spokesmen for the communities: Messrs Tony Lawurn, Andrew Lelekumo, > Solomon Sode and Sule Akpasubowei, stated that during the shootings, one > of the villagers, Mr. Bright Pablobuagha, waived his hands to indicate > that the communities are at peace, but the armed soldiers continued > their indiscriminate shooting. > > Sode, who looked disturbed, said that just as Mr. Pablobuagha waived, > the aircraft slowed down and the armed soldiers started to shoot > indiscriminately, leading to the death of Chief Agbagbadi of Ikiyan > village. > > For more information contact: > ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS ACTION/ FRIENDS OF THE EARTH (FoE, Nigeria) + > OILWATCH > AFRICA > #214, Uselu-Lagos Road, P. O. Box 10577, Benin City, Nigeria > Tel/Fax: + 234 52 600165 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Port Harcourt: > # 13 Agudama Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt > Tel: + 234 84 236365 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Lagos: > # 1 Balogun Street, Ikeja Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Owerri: > E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > London: > Tel/Fax: + 44 181 7800574 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS ACTION (ERA) ERA ALERT SOLDIERS ATTACK OIL COMMUNITIES ? TRADITIONAL RULER, OTHERS FEARED KILLED [By Olu Owolabi, Reporting from WARRI. Punch, Lagos, January 7, 1999, Back page] Armed men attacked on Monday, two villages in Warri North Local Government in Delta State: Opia and Ikiyan, during which some of the villagers, including a traditional ruler, were killed. Narrating their experiences in Warri on Wednesday, some of the survivors of the attacks, told newsmen that attack was in two batches, one by an unspecified number of men who raided the villages in an aircraft. Shortly after the departure of the aircraft, another group of armed men came in four speedboats to launch their attack. They said the aircraft, owned by an oil company, was occupied by people in Army uniform, who stormed the villages around 2.00 p.m. on Monday, to unleash the attack. They said that just a few minutes after the aircraft took off, four speedboats with fully armed soldiers arrived the shore and fired sporadically at the villagers. They also razed down the villages. According to them, after the burning down of Opia village, the invaders moved to Ikiyan, about four kilometers to Opia, where a woman, who was fishing, was attacked and her whereabouts still unknown. Spokesmen for the communities: Messrs Tony Lawurn, Andrew Lelekumo, Solomon Sode and Sule Akpasubowei, stated that during the shootings, one of the villagers, Mr. Bright Pablobuagha, waived his hands to indicate that the communities are at peace, but the armed soldiers continued their indiscriminate shooting. Sode, who looked disturbed, said that just as Mr. Pablobuagha waived, the aircraft slowed down and the armed soldiers started to shoot indiscriminately, leading to the death of Chief Agbagbadi of Ikiyan village. For more information contact: ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS ACTION/ FRIENDS OF THE EARTH (FoE, Nigeria) + OILWATCH AFRICA #214, Uselu-Lagos Road, P. O. Box 10577, Benin City, Nigeria Tel/Fax: + 234 52 600165 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Port Harcourt: # 13 Agudama Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt Tel: + 234 84 236365 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lagos: # 1 Balogun Street, Ikeja Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Owerri: E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] London: Tel/Fax: + 44 181 7800574 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
