Human Rights Report 2008

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Scorecard for 2008Scorecard for 200Scorecard for 2008Scorecard for 200A CEHRD Report on the state of

human rights abuse and violence in theNiger Delta region of Nigeria.

Centre for Environment, Human Rightsand Development (CEHRD)


Scorecard for 2008Scorecard for 200Scorecard for 2008Scorecard for 200A CEHRD Report on the state of

human rights abuse and violence in theNiger Delta region of Nigeria.


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A CEHRD report on the state of human rights abuseand violence in the Niger region of Nigeria

Written By:

Patrick NaagbantonSteyvn ObodoekweSebastian Kpalap


6, Obo Nwanke Street,Post Office BuildingOgale-Nchia, Eleme.Rivers State, Nigeria.

Tel; +234 (0)82557893, 082557885, 082557083.E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.cehrd.org

Published By:

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Scorecard for 2008

First Published in 2008 By

ISBN NO: 978-38124-9-1

Cover Concept:

Typesetting:

Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development(CEHRD)6, Obo Nwanke Street,Post Office BuildingOgale-Nchia, Eleme.Rivers State.

Copyright @Centre for Environment, Human Rights andDevelopment (CEHRD), 2008

The Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD)asserts its copyrights to this report, it allows reproduction or photocopyingof extracts from this report provided that acknowledgement is given and acopy of the publication carrying the extract is sent to the address above.

Mr.Augustine Nse Daniel

Miss. Nwawuru, Ugochi G.

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The Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development(CEHRD) wishes to express her sincere gratitude to severalcommunity people, groups and victims of human rights abuse who at

one point or another in 2008 reported their cases to us, especially those whoCEHRD encouraged to use constitutional means, to seek redress and theyheeded our advice. We are also indebted to local journalists and NGOworkers who network with us, to raise awareness about the various cases ofabuse the organization handled. We encourage them to continue such workto save the Niger Delta region, and the country at large from total collapse.

Indeed, without the kind support of thegave to CEHRD we wouldn't

have succeeded in doing the work. NED supported CEHRD during the fieldactivities, publication, distribution and other activities related to this project.With our collective commitment and passion, we hope better days willcome.Again, we wish to thank NED.

National Endowment forDemocracy (NED), Washington, DC, USA

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Acknowledgements

This project commenced in 2007. The project focal states are Bayelsa(central delta) Delta (western delta) and Rivers (eastern delta).At theend of that 2007, CEHRD was supposed to produce a comprehensive

annual report for 2007 like this, but that was not possible due to shortage offund. This is the first human right annual report the organization isproducing.

The project involves traveling round the project states investigating,documenting and reporting human rights in the states and at the end of eachmonth, produce a newsletter which exposes the basic human rights abusesuch as police lawlessness, extra-judicial killings, arrest, detention andharassment. Not only focusing on the reckless behaviour of the police in theregion, but also on the violence unleash by the military task force, the JointTask Force (JTF), the armed groups tagged militants and the general state ofinsecurity in the region. Most importantly, to this project, are the issues ofenvironmental degradation, pollution and its deadly impacts on the regionand its people.

CEHRD knows that “mere” exposing the widespread violations of humanrights and violence in the region wouldn't solve the problems. CEHRD afterthorough investigation into the cases, create awareness around it, explore itsgood relationship with other NGOs locally and internationally and themedia, to take interest in such matters. In most horrible cases, CEHRD goesout of the project mandate, to provide financial assistance to victims of suchviolation, to take legal action against the violator(s). CEHRD so manyhorrible pictures of the horrible incidents in this report, but it is a matter ofeditorial decision, not to tell the story with such.

In course, of this project, it's been quite challenging and frustrating as theproject officials faced threats from rights violators (both state and non-state)etc, but that wouldn't deter CEHRD in the struggle to create a society wherethe respect for human rights will form its basis. In 2008, the situation wasappalling and hopeless as other past years. The tragic situation asdocumented in this report is not peculiar to the core Niger Delta states ofBayelsa, Delta and Rivers (the project states). The aim is to demonstrate

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Foreword

using these three states as case studies that in spite of a supposedlydemocratic rule in Nigeria these abuse had, continued unabated. What ishappening in the deltaic region is also happening in other parts of Nigeria.The incidents in this report are manifestations of a sick and kleptomaniacsociety.

There is the urgent need for a genuine and true democracy in place.Democracy can't come through a posture, waiting for somedivine intervention to come. The people must rise to the occasion, mobilizeand organize themselves and fight non-violently in a sincere and committedway to achieve true democracy.

We hope that this will be achieved soon through our collective struggle.

Patrick Naagbanton,January, 2008.

“siddon look”

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This report was prepared by the trio of Stevyvn Obodoekwe, SebastianKpalap and Patrick Naagbanton. Obodoekwe is the head of theHuman Rights Program of CEHRD, while Kpalap is its special

project officer and Naagbanton is the coordinator of the organization. Thecontent of this report is based on cases of violations, investigated as reportedby the human rights project. Every month CEHRD prepares this report andpublish them in a newsletter called which isdistributed locally and internationally. The news here are generated fromCEHRD's massive networks around the rural communities in the delta, thesecurity forces, the armed groups and gangs, the oil and gas corporations etc.CEHRD stands by the reports as contained here. They are well-researchedand authoritative. It is not based on . While investigating the reports,we interviewed a lot of persons, we respect those who talked to us, theyconfided in us, what we should report and what we should not. The readersof this report should bear with us over this. Mere reading it, is not enough,please take action to redress the situation. You can do something in your“small” way.

The human rights news for 2008 was too bad. The Nigerian police forcecharged with the responsibility of maintaining law and order, protection oflife and property through out the federation of Nigeria by virtue of section214 (1) of the 1999 constitution and section 3 of the PoliceAct was one of theworst violators of human rights in 2008. They extort bribe from poorcommuters at illegal checkpoints, they are used by persons to kill theirperceived opponents on trumped up charges, and they arrest and detainpersons unnecessarily. They behave as if they are above the law. Theyviolate citizen's rights at will without any bit of regard for the law. Theirlawless behaviour is partly responsible for the violence in the delta today,because when a force like the police that is supposed to safeguard the peoplelater turn against them, someone will take the law into his or her hands, and astate of lawlessness will eventually emerge.

Secondly, in 2008, apart from the lawless behaviour of the Nigerian policeforce, another security force that has also violated the rights of people in thezone, is the military task force code-named

The Human Rights News

Joint Task Force (JTF)

heresay

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Preface

sometimes called The JTF was formed into tackle the growing spate of insecurity and violence in the Niger

Delta region. This task force also operating in a very lawless manner liketheir counterpart, the Nigerian police force has also committed terribleviolence and violations in the region. The JTF comprises of the police, theState Security Services (SSS), the Army, the Navy and the Air force. Thetask force has been implicated in several cases of extra-judicial executions,extortions, illegal arrests and torture of innocent persons on trump upcharges. The JTF has also been implicated in cases where they are hired asmercenaries to settle scores in community. They have also been involved inmassive proliferation of dangerous Small Arms and Light Weapons(SALW) and thereby contributing to the general state of insecurity whichbeclouds the deltaic region now.

In this report, there is a section that deals with reports of the lawlessactivities of non-state armed groups and gangs, there are also reports on rapecases and also proliferation of SALWs. There are reports on armed groupslike the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) ofJomo Gbomo and its affiliates like the Niger Delta Strike Force (NDSF) ledby Farah Dagogo Ipallibo, the People Liberation Movement (PLM)spearheaded by Egberi Papa currently in JTF detention etc. There are alsoother groups like the Niger Delta Vigilante Movement (NDVM) led by TomAteke. The Outlaws by Soboma George, and other MEND chieftains likeChief Ekpemupolo popularly called Tompolo, Commander Jackson a.k.a.Young Shall Grow, Commander Ogbombos,Africa Owei, Victor Ben EbikaBowei popularly called Boyloaf, Joshua Mackiver who is said to have quitmilitancy.

There are also the street/creek gangs like the Deadly underdogs, theDeewell, the Deebam etc. Sadly, the formation of the JTF in 2003 did notbring the desired peace and security; rather on daily basis we see moreaudacious armed groups and dangerous SALW flooding the region. Today, aclimate of insecurity and culture of violence reign in the region.Kidnappings and other forms of violence are out of control.

And finally, It is important to note that, in discussing the proliferation ofsmall arms, armed groups and violent conflicts in the region, the roles of the

Operation Restore Hope (ORP).2003

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oil and gas Transnational Corporation (TNCs) like Shell, Chevron, Agip etcin the state of insecurity and destruction of the environment of the peoplewhich has left the local people miserable, poorer, aggrieved and vulnerableas highlighted in the reports in this section on “

”. The TNCs just take advantage of a weak and corruptgovernment in place and perpetrate the worst form of abuse and violenceunheard of anywhere they operate in the world.

The situation looks hopeless. There is an urgent need for true democracy,justice and people-oriented development in Nigeria as a way of redressingthe situation. The Niger Delta is just a small unit of the country. Thesolutions to the situation must be holistic.

A dead Environment and aFinished People

January, 2008.

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AcknowledgementsForewordPreface(1) THE POLICE: EXTRA-JUDICIALKILLINGS

AND LAWLESSNESS

- - - - - - iv- - - - - - - v - vi- - - - - - - vii - ix

Police Breaks The Head of a 9-year-old Hawker - - 1Pastor Uses Police, Soldiers to Terrorize Innocent Person - 2 - 3Taxi Driver Tortured by Police Over N200 Bribe Goes Blind 3 - 523-year-old Student Shot by Police - - - 5Mobile Policemen Kill Site Engineer, Brand him

Armed Robber - - - - - - 5 - 7Policemen Torture Security man in Effurum - - 7 - 8PoliceAbduct Miss Juliet Ezechi, Others,Extort Money from them - - - - - 8Policeman Shot Dead 25-year-old Timi Joshua inYenogoa 8 - 9Police Shot Dead 23-Year-Old Gabriel atAgbor - - 9 - 10Pastor Ibiyeomie Uses Police to Harass Journalists,Threaten Others - - - - - - 10 - 11Mobile Police Inflict Life-Threatening Injurieson Hospital Worker - - - - - 11 - 12Delta Council Boss Uses Thugs, Police to Detain,Harass Journalists - - - - - 12 - 13Hired Policemen Shot Dead Maduchem overN300,000 (about $2,200) credit - - - - 13 - 14Kaladi Languishes In Prison for Not GivingPolice N40, 000 Bribe - - - - - 14 - 16Gang rape of a Girl gave Police Opportunity toExtort Money - - - - - - 16 - 18SSS Tortures BonnyYouthActivists - - - 18 - 19CourtAwards N5m Damages to Don-Pedro forRights Violation by SSS - - - - - 19Court Dumps 13-Year-Old Boy in Prison - - 19 - 20FamilyAccuses Police of Snatching,Killing two Month old Baby - - - - 20 -22Police Tortured Journalist Isine Ibanga - - - 22 - 23

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Table of Contents

Police Officer Killed Okadaman, Two Others - - 23 - 24Askia Ogieh, Isoko Council Boss Uses Thugs, Police toDetain, Harass Journalists - - - - 24 - 25

(2) Military Task Force and State ViolenceJTFSoldier Shoots Oluchi Over N50 Bribe - - 26 - 27Soldiers Torture IjawYouth Leader - - - 27Soldiers Brutalize Fubara forAsking Questionduring Run-Off Elections - - - - 27 - 28JTF shoots Truck Conductor over N500 - - - 28 - 29SoldiersArrest 4Americans, one Nigerian - - 29 - 30Soldiers Storm Militants' Camps, Kill 5 - - - 30 - 32SoldiersAccused Of Rape, Sale OfArms - - - 32 - 33Soldiers shoot Peaceful Protesters, Kill One - - 33 - 34Soldiers Brutalize CEHRD Volunteer - - - 34SSS Bullet Puts 50-year-old Woman on Danger List - 35JTF Kill 2 MilitantsAt Shell's Flow Station in Rivers. - 35 - 36JTFArrest Journalist, 9 Others, Detain Them in SSS Cell - 36 -37Bayelsa Re-Run Election: Soldiers TortureOpposition Party Members - - - - 37 - 38SSSArrests CNN Journalist - - - - 39Soldiers SackAgge Community, Kill Local People - 39 - 41JTFArrest Innocent Persons, Tag Them Militant - 41Soldiers Shot Dead 3 Innocent Persons,WoundAnother inA Commercial Boat - - - 41 - 43JTF Sank Two Boats Carrying IYC Officials - - 43JTF Shot Dead a Footballer, 2 Others, Brand them Militants 43 - 44SoldiersAbductAmerican Journalist - - - 45MEND Declares Oil WarAs Soldiers Kill InnocentPersons, Militants in Rivers - - - - 46 - 49Shell's SoldiersArrest Journalists,Activists,Community People - - - - - 49 - 50JTFArrest Traditional Ruler over Romance with Militants 50 - 51Murder of Deebari Mabani; JTF Kill 15-year-oldBarieleera Kuele - - - - - - 51JTF Kill oneYouth, Sack Ogoni Village - - - 51 - 53Egberipapa, Senior MEND CommanderArrested by JTF 53

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Chevron Soldiers Shoot Peaceful Itsekiri Protesters - 54JTF Shot Dead IjawYouth Leader in Bonny - - 55 - 56Ibaka Chief Shot Dead ByAssasin in Military Uniform - 56 - 57

Soldier Killed, German Worker Seized - - - 58Ateke's Fighters, Naval Officials Killed in FierceBattle inAlakiri - - - - - - 58 - 59GoergeAdumu, JTF Soldiers Clash inAndoni - - 60 - 61

(3) Violence, Insecurity and non State armed Groups andProliferation of SALWs

Man abducts 6-year-old boy from church - - - 61 - 62Margaret Idisi, wife of oil magnate kidnapped. - - 62 - 63MEND launches more deadly attacks on oil facilities. - 63 - 65Youth election claims 3 lives in Ekpan - - - 65Gunmen kidnap Ekeneoreawaji, 2 missing inAsarama. - 65 - 66Mother of Tai caretaker chairman seized in Kira - - 66Commissioner's son spends 7 months in captivity - 66 - 67OdukwuAssasinated inAhoada - - - - 678-year-old child of a widow kidnapped inAsaba - - 67 - 68Two toddlers seized inAleto - - - - - 68Mistaken identity; lawmaker's wife snatched by gunmen - 68 - 69Bloody violence engulfs Bonny Island. - - - 69 -71Cultists kill 10 innocent persons in a shooting spree - 71 - 72Bayelsa prison in Rivers State stinks - - - 72 - 73Gunmen kidnap 2 Lebanese, one Syrian construction worker 73Ex-Rivers commissioner's ageing mother snatched - 73 - 74Bloody violence soaks Delta State local government election 74 - 75Gunmen kill 2 policemen, cart away weapons - - 75 - 763-year-old Tonye George kidnapped in Okrika - - 76Lawmaker's mother seized by gunmen - - - 76 - 778 killed in Gokana, Tai shooting - - - - 77NosaAigbangbe kidnapped inAsaba - - - 77 - 78Kidnappers of Ndoki chief demand 42m ransom - 78Ship captain, engineer abducted in Bonny waterways - 78MEND attacks shell's facility in Bayelsa - - - 78 - 79Gunmen hijack vessel, 9 Nigerians, 2 expatriates - - 79 - 80Cult violence in UNIPORT, 8 killed, others wounded - 80 - 81

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Kidnappers demand N1 billion to free expatriate workers 81 - 82Former Bayelsa state commissioner kidnapped - - 82Naval officer killed in militant reprisal attack - - 82 - 83Gunmen kill security guard, kidnap oil magnate's father - 83Prince Igodo of Bayelsa State, others killed in violent clash 83 - 85Abducted permanent secretary found dead - - 85 - 863 killed as gunmen attack Gov. Uduaghan's convoy - 86MEND attacks Shell's Bonga oilfields - - - 86 - 87FridayAniefiok killed, 3 others wounded as Deebamstorm suburb - - - - - - - 87 - 896 killed as Farah battles Soboma George - - - 89 - 91Journalist receives death threat - - - - 91Govt.Agents Terrorise opponents duringRivers Local Council polls - - - - 91 - 93Abducted female oil worker disappears from kidnappers - 93Dorothy Otele rescued from commercial kidnappers - 93 - 94Father of raped girl reports to CEHRD - - - 94 - 95Pregnant woman gives birth in captor's den - - 95Politician's children kidnapped - - - - 95 - 96Abducted man dies - - - - - 9611-year-old girl raped by beer parlour owner - - 97 - 98Ateke's groups destroy NNPC gas pipeline - - 98 - 99Josiah Onaro, 54-year-old tanker driver abducted - 99Gunmen kidnap ship crew, youth corper - - - 99 - 100Egberi Papa, Soboma George's violence spreads toPort Harcourt as 15 feared dead - - - - 100-101One killed by gunmen in police uniform,school principal kidnapped - - - - 101-102Kidnappers of toddlers demand N30m - - - 102-10318-year-old Hannah Mgaji raped and murdered inAbraka 103-104Israeli worker kidnapped as its ambassador visitsPort Harcourt - - - - - - 104-105Cult violence left 3 dead in separate attacks in Bayelsa - 105Gunmen kidnap two French expatriates in Onne - 106Rising Ekennoa kidnapped in Rumuolomeni - - 106-107Five civilians, one police killed as militantsattack shell's facility - - - - - 107-108

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MEND calls off ceasefire, attacks major pipelines in Nembe 1088 expatriates kidnapped - - - - - 108-109Gunmen kidnap 2 oil engineers - - - - 109Government house accountant murdered - - - 110Father of Delta SSG kidnapped, 50 million paid as ransom 110-111Nornu,Yobo's brother kidnapped - - - - 111-112Lawmaker's father kidnapped - - - - 11230 gunmen kill soldier, kidnap German workers - - 112-113Violence swallows Jakpa community - - - 113-114Assassins murder man, wife - - - - 114-115Assassins kill 26-year-old Deebari Mabani in Kpite - 115Noble Diri kidnapped at Kalaibiama - - - 115Samuel Okwa, the Icelander Chief inAndoni arrested. - 116Gunmen overrun Okoroba Community, one dead, 15 injured. 116-117Police rescued Port Harcourt Local Government boss,2 kidnapped - - - - - - 117Prof. Fakae seized by 6 Gunmen - - - - 1186 Filipinos kidnapped in Bonny - - - - 119Cult clash claims the life of Sunny - - - 119-120GunmenAbduct Timber Merchants, Publisher - - 120Soldiers, militants killed in a major attack in Bonny Island 120-121Niger Delta-Bakassi group kidnap 10 oil workers - 121-122Gunmen kidnap two sisters - - - - 122Pastor Bassey, Sola Femi kidnapped 6-year-oldCollins Roberts - - - - - - 122-12362-year-old Moses Irimisose kidnapped - - - 123-124Gunmen abduct Lebanese construction worker - - 124Zenith bank manager kidnapped - - - - 125Shell workers kidnapped in Bayelsa, Delta - - 125-126Retired Methodist clergy kidnapped in Gokana - - 126-1274 Naval Officers, Shell Worker, 5 others killed inattack in Nembe - - - - - - 127-128MEND opens camps in Delta State, threatens more violence 128-13074-year-old Mrs. Benamiasia kidnapped - - - 130-131INTELS boss assassinated in Port Harcourt - - 13114 killed in violent attack in Sangana creek - - 131-1325 policemen, one Saipem worker killed by gunmen in Rivers 132-133

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Policemen Killed in Opobo Waterways - - - 133

Shell Workers Abducted in Rumuodomaya, KidnappersDemand 7 million naira Ransom- - - - 148-149Pidomson, Ex-Rivers SSG's Sister Kidnapped - - 149RSUST Professor Kidnapped, Released AfterPayment of N3million Ransom - - - - 150Emengini, Union Bank Manager Kidnapped - - 150-151

Kidnappers seize Shell Workers, Demand N7 M - - 133-134Ibaka chief shot dead byAssasin in military uniform - 134Assassins who posed as photographers shot deadschool vice-principal - - - - - 13514-year-old Stella Chinedu raped to death - - 135-136Tom Ateke's fighters disarm JTF soldiers atNNPC depot, Eleme - - - - - 136Senator Lee Maeba's aged mother abducted - - 137Elder Sylvester Mbata gunned down in his bedroom - 137-138More killed as Deebam, Deewell clashed inIkwerre community - - - - - 138PDP stalwart, another assassinated in Port Harcourtsame day - - - - - - - 139Chief Wale Adegboye gunned down in Port Harcourt - 139-140Russians, Ukrainian, Filipino kidnapped in Rivers - 1403 Youths, 5 Soldiers died in attack on Agip facility inBayelsa State - - - - - - 140-141Abducted female oil worker disappears from kidnappers 141-142Gunmen kidnap two toddlers - - - - 142-143Militants attack police station in Amasoma, cart away arms 143Militants sack Bonny police station, kill 5 policemen,free detainees. - - - - - - 143-144Gunmen abduct 11-year-old Chichi, kill driver, escort. - 1444 soldiers, others killed as Soboma Jackrich clasheswith Soboma George - - - - - 144-145Gunmen kill 3 soldiers, 4 civilians - - - 145-146Deewell cultists murder 67-year-old Thompson Enang - 147Militants attack police station, kill one police man,Cart away arms - - - - - - 147-148Kidnapped Pa Jacob Odivwri found dead 6 days after - 148

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Joy Iyaye, Rivers Sport Commissioner's Wife Abducted 151Baron Wami Shot Dead by Assassins in His Office - 151-152Scottish Oil Worker Kidnapped - - - - 152Pa Jacob Odivwri Kidnapped, Found Dead 6 Days After 152

Shell Spill Ravages Ikarama Community - - 162

(4) A Dead Environment and a Finished PeopleShell's Toxic Waste Threatens Rural People - - 153Community People Decry Shell Refusal to Clean Spill - 153-154Oil Spill Destroys Otefe Community - - - 154-155Local People Cry over Intimidation by Chevron's Soldiers 155Shell Dumps toxic Waste in Orogun - - - 156Shell's Unprecedented Spill Destroys Bodo Creek, AsShell contractor threaten CEHRD officials over report. - 156-1593 Die in Agip Oil Pollution in Ikebiri - - - 159-160Agip Dumps Toxic Waste in Delta Community - - 160-1616 Shell Workers Die in Pipeline Explosion, Others Injured. 161

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“Everyone has the right to life, liberty andSecurity of person”

-

Police Breaks The Head of a 9-year-old Hawker

Article 3, the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights

The head of Temple Isaac, a 9-year-old water vendor (pure water hawker)was broken with gun butt by policemen from the Mile 1 police Division.Also brutalized with him by the same policemen was an Okada rider, Mr.David Frank who was stripped naked by the rampaging security men. Frankwas brutally dealt with and bundled to the police station in pants only.

The ugly incident occurred at the ever-busy Education bus stop on Friday,May 30, 2008 at about 10am. Frank and Temple were among many otherpeople at the bus stop area when the policemen stormed the place like hawksin search of preys. Frank, the commercial motorcycle operator disclosed thathe was at the filling station at the bus stop area waiting for passengers whenthe policemen arrived. On arrival, they opened fire into the air, forcingpeople to scamper for safety. “I joined others in running knowing thateverybody around there is a target”, the Okada rider stated.

However, he could not run fast enough as he was eventually rounded up,captured and beaten mercilessly. He was accused of beating up two policewomen; an accusation he said sounds funny to him. It was in the process ofkicking at every moving object within their reach that the little Frank was hitwith a gun butt which broke his head. An eye-witness told CEHRD thatwhen the little boy collapsed, he rushed to him and took him to the Mile 1police station. At the police station, the boy was taken to the officer whoreferred the boy to the trauma unit of Teme hospital, Port Harcourt whereDoctors without Borders has a trauma unit. The Okada rider was detainedfor several hours and was later released at about 6pm on payment of N3,000bribe.

(1) Police Extra-Judicial Killingand Lawlessness

Police Extra-Judicial Killing and Lawlessness

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Pastor Uses Police, Soldiers to Terrorize Innocent PersonFor daring to demand his debt of about Two hundred and Eight ThousandNaira (N208,000) from his pastor, Mr. Eworo E. Emeng of JabezInternational Ministry, Port Harcourt, Nnana Adoo and his family of sixchildren have not only been subjected to constant police harassments, buthave been locked out of their resident at No. 3 Car Link road, off AbachaRoad, Port Harcourt. Mr. Adoo, a bricklayer, who hails from Botem inBabbe Kingdom, Ogoni, was locked out of his apartment with his wife, whowas then nursing a four month old baby and his five other children. “I amnow stranded, the small business I dey do, I no fit do again, my children nolonger go to school. We are all packed in a small store in front of the premiseswhere my wife is doing small trading”, Mr. Adoo lamented to CEHRD. Hefurther disclosed that a lady nurse who was touched by his family's ordealsin the hands of the pastor gave him a store, a pot, spoons and plates withwhich they have been eating since their properties were locked up in thecompound.

Before locking Adoo and his family out, the “man of God”, a pharmacistwho works with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),Waterline, Port Harcourt, as chief pharmacist was said to have used bothsoldiers and policemen to harass, arrest and detain Adoo, a member of hischurch. He had also used lawyers to issue quit notice to him, claiming to bethe owner of the property. One of the quit notices served on him by one JudeE. Mama was handed over to him three days after the birth of his new baby.

But determined to force him out of the premises which belong to AnjubaOruambo who resides at Abuja, the Ogoja-born pastor who met Adoo as thecaretaker in the compound, brought two soldiers to torture him and forcedhim to accept to quit. Mr. Adoo was not at home when the rented soldierscame. On May 17, 2008, he was arrested by policemen from Olu-Obasanjopolice station but was released the following day following the interventionof his land lady's son Sodi who, though was in Abuja, directed somebody togo and release him on bail. After listening to Adoo, the Olu Obasanjo policedismissed the matter saying that he had no case to answer. But the pastor

“I couldn't believe it; when my wife delivered, I told him. I baptized him inhis church, and three days later, he gave me another quit notice telling meto pack out from the house. I asked him whether he was really a, man ofGod, that he should pity the new baby and his mother”.


2

later used policemen from Nkpolu Mile 3 police station to arrest anddetained his 18-year-old son, Festus Adoo. The policemen who affected thearrest narrowly missed Adoo as he was not in the house when they came.When he later sent somebody to secure the release of his son, he was told topay N20, 000.

He then sought help from the Legal Aids Council which referred him toCEHRD. Following the intervention of the groups and the then PortHarcourt Area police commander, Mr. Jonathan Udoh, the boy was freed.However, the police refused to advise their customer to open the door andallow Mr. Adoo and his family gain access to the house and belongings afterabout two weeks. Contacted on phone, the landlady expressed dismay thatthe pastor locked out a man who has been working for her and has beenliving in the premises over the years. “The pastor can't do that”, she said.

Mr. Adoo was living peacefully in the yard from 1997 until 2007 when heasked the pastor to pay him the sum of N208, 000 being cost of labour herendered for the pastor's church building. It was gathered that when thepastor moved into the premises in 2006, he was welcomed by the caretaker,Mr. Adoo who did clearing and other jobs for him when he was building thechurch. He charged N2, 000 daily for the labour. Mr. Adoo, who wasconverted to Christianity by the pastor, said that he considers the pastor asGod on earth until he showed his true colour.

Mr. Joshua Oseveta, a taxi driver based in Warri, the slummy over-crowdedMetropolis of Delta State who was tortured by 5 policemen from theEnerhen Divisional Police of the state police headquarters, Asaba, Deltastate is now a blind man.

On March 31, 2008 the police officers flagged down Oseveta who wasdriving his passengers Volkswagen Passat taxi along Urhobo College Roadin Effurum, in Warri.As the taxi cab stopped, the police officers demanded abribe of N200 (less than $2) and when the driver pleaded with them that hedoesn't have money again and that he has just paid similar bribe at a nearbypolice checkpoint, the “angry” bribe-loving police officers pounced on him.They beat him with the butt of their guns to the extent that their prey (Joshua

Taxi DriverTortured by Police Over N200 Bribe Goes Blind

3


Osevata) bled profusely and they left him.

A victimized Oseveta who had his right eye and body seriously bloodiedfirst went to Delta state Government owned general hospital to receivetreatment for his injuries. Some days afterward, he was referred to an eyespecialist hospital in Warri.

The victim lamented to CEHRD in Pidgin English, a corrupt version ofEnglish Language which has now assumed a life of its own in Nigeria. Thisis the translated version of Joshua Oseveta's interview in English:

He broke down and wept uncontrollably while talking to CEHRD monitor inWarri.

CEHRD contacted Mr. Gabriel Ughoton, the Enerhen divisional policeofficer (DPO) of the police station where the police who brutalized Joshuaand who mounted their pick-up van with the bold inscription,“DIVISIONAL ” camefrom. Characteristic of the police, Ughoton swore to the high heavens thathis men were not involved in the torture in spite of the fact that Joshua toldCEHRD that he knows the men and that after he reported them, they havebeen coming to his former residence to harass him and his landlord. CEHRDalso visited the general hospital in Warri, and the officials there confirmedthat Joshua Oseveta was attended to in the hospital, but refused to releaseany report to CEHRD.

A sympathetic nurse at the hospital who pleaded anonymity told CEHRDthat when Oseveta was still receiving treatment in the hospital, the policemet with top officials of the clinic and held close door meetings with them.And that since then, the hospital officials have threatened nurses working

“since Iwent to the General hospital that first treated me to obtain medical reportand they refused, I later wrote a petition to the police but since then thepolice have been coming to my house to threaten me and my landlord hasgiven me quit notice. I found out that the police also threatened mylandlord to quit me. I am out of that house and don't have a place to live.The owners of the car I hired have taken their car, I used all my savings totreat myself and don't have money to rent a new house now. I am joblessnow and not seeing. I feel like committing suicide and just die away”.

POLICE HEADQUARTERS, ENHERHEN

4


there not to even mention the Joshua Oseveta case to any body. The eyespecialist hospital in Warri confirmed to CEHRD that Oseveta has lostvision (blind).

CEHRD wrote a letter dated June 28, 2008, to the inspectorgeneral of policeand copied relevant bodies regarding Oseveta's impaired vision, but until thetime of this report, the organization has not received any reply. A dramatictwist has however been added to the case of poor Joshua Oseveta. Mr.Oghenejabor Ikimi, the Delta State chairman of the Committee for theDefense of Human Rights (CDHR) recently instituted a N10 million law suitin the Federal High Court in Benin city, Edo state against DPO GabrielUghoton and 3 others on behalf of Oseveta for the enforcement of hisfundamental rights to life, dignity of human person and personal liberty.Since the filing of the legal action, CEHRD is extremely worried that thehuman rights lawyer (Oghenejabor Ikimi) is being threatened on daily basisby the affected police officers.

The police from Delta State axis like other police in other parts of Nigeriabehave recklessly. On October 23, 2006, at about 6.15pm, a team of mobilepolicemen who raised a checkpoint at Warri/Port Harcourt expressway byEnenurhe junction, near Patani, Delta State shot a 23-year-old CynthiaAgaga who was driving a private vehicle with her brother-in-law and wereheading to Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State. Agaga, who was in hersecond year then at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma Delta State,biochemistry department, had her right leg shattered to pieces by the policebullet.

On Monday September 8, 2008, around 6:45pm, heavily armed MobilePolicemen from the Quick Response Squad (QRS) of the Delta State policecommand stationed at Sedco junction, Warri in Delta state shot dead a 35-year-old Gideon Bluff Ovikpokpo who was traveling in a car and brandedhim an armed robber.

The victim, a mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Nigeria(UNN), Nsukka, was a site engineer with Poliod Engineering Services

23 year old Student Shot by Police

Mobile Policemen Kill Site Engineer, Brand himArmed Robber

5


Limited. The tragic incident befell Gideon while he was returning fromwork on that fateful day. He was shot dead at Ogunnu junction in Warri. Butthe police maintained that the deceased was an armed robber and that he waspart of a 3-member gang that robed and dispossessed them of theirpossession.

Muazu Mohamed, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at Enerhen policedivision said that the shooting of Gideon occurred in his jurisdictional area,confirmed the incident to CEHRD investigators, but said the shooting wasnot done by his men.

Some eyewitnesses recounted the incident to CEHRD as follows:

,

reported Mr. Justine Oma, 28-year-old student who made attempt to saveGideon's life.

43-year-old woman (name withheld) is a mother of 5 children and a civilservant; she is not allowed by law to grant interview to any publication.

“Gideon would have survived. When they shot him he didn't die instantly,we took him to Delta Clinic, there was no electricity; we took him again toMena Clinic, all in Warri and there was no Nurse to attend to us, the doctorat Mena refused to attend to us. Because he was bleeding seriously, helater died”

“I returned from work that day around 5:00pm, I was sitting in my parlourjust watching the road. My house overlooks the Sedco junction. I actuallysaw when the police shot at the car carrying the boy (Gideon). We wentdown to see the person. To me, it is not a strange incident. I have beenstaying in my house for the past 8 years. We have witnessed and heardsimilar incidents several times. Immediately after the shooting, I sawwhen the mobile policemen entered their vehicle, a pick-up with aninscription written on it, Quick Respond Squad, and left the scene aspeople were shouting. I was one of those who summoned courage, becauseI am a mother. In the hands of Gideon was a black cell phone, paw-pawand oranges (both ripe and unripe). One of his hands was clutching to it. Itwas so sad. What must have happened? How can the police just shoot himand run like that?”

6


Chief Paul Idemudia, the executive director of Poliod Engineering ServicesLimited, where the late Gideon Bluff Ovikpokpo was working, told CEHRDthat the deceased was not an armed robber and that he left him in the office at6:00pm that day. Also, Apostle Idogo Ekoh of the Divine Prayer and FaithMinistries at Ekete waterside where the late Gideon was an active membersaid that he has never been involved in any criminal activities since he knewhim about10 years ago.

Police told CEHRD that Gideon was a member of a 3-man gang who robbedsome people along the Sedco area near Ogunu junction and that he was shotwhile fleeing with other members of his gang after robbing the occupants ofa pick-up van. CEHRD has written to the police calling for a thorough andsincere investigation into the incident.

On October 1, 2008, while Nigeria was still celebrating her flagindependence from Britain, around 6:30pm of that day, a team of policemenfrom Ekpan police station driving in a Volvo car pounced on Mr. DanielIleomona 37, a staff of OCAN Marine Services riding his Lifan Motorcyclemarked DT 4839Z. The policemen used the butts of their guns and horse-whips on the victim.

Ileomona was beaten by the police to a state of unconsciousness at thepopularAkaAvenue at Effurun in Delta State.

The police had stopped Daniel who was returning from his work andthreatened to deal with him for riding his motorbike around that period.CEHRD gathered from eye-witnesses that the poor Daniel Ilomonaresponded to the police politely that it was not yet 7:00pm, and that he wasnot a commercial motorbike rider.

The police didn't take it kindly, they swooped on him and gave him thebeating of his life and abandoned him there, while his motorcycle was seizedand taken into the police vehicle and zoomed off.Asympathetic commercialmotorbike rider telephoned CEHRD about the incident.Mr. Yusuff Audu, the Division Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Ekpanpolice station where the police who tortured 37-year-old Daniel come from

Policemen Torture Security man in Effurum

7


and where his seized motorbike was traced to, told CEHRD, “I paraded mymen that night and they did not leave the station until past 8:00pm” CEHRDalso found out that the team that tortured Daniel was led by Inspector DanielTashi. The victim, Daniel Ilemona was admitted at a hospital in the area dueto the injuries he suffered. CEHRD wrote to the police office asking them topay for the bills of the victim but they never replied.

CEHRD is also encouraging the victim to sue the police.

In Delta State and other states of the delta, motorcycles are banned fromplying the streets from 7:00pm. Those caught are prosecuted, however,security officials mostly police, navy, soldiers etc don't obey the order. Theyare seen operating beyond the 7:00pm ban for commercial purposes.

On October 20, 2008, a team of heavily armed policemen from the old GRApolice station in Port Harcourt, Rivers State at about 10:50pm invaded thepremises of 62 Ogbunabali Street in the city and took Miss Juliet Ezechi, a16-year-old hair dresser and 2 others to their cell at the old GRA policestation.

The police team which was led by Supol Bassey saw Juliet and her friendslying on a mat in front of their No. 62 Ogbunabali family house and arrestedthem. They were not told their crime, but when taken to the police stationthey were asked to pay N30,000 each for their bail. Others paid and werereleased the following day, but Juliet was held, not until CEHRD called theattention of the police in the state to the matter, and she was released.

Such incident of human rights abuse by the police was on the increase as theyear (2008) drew to an end. The police arrest innocent persons and placecharges on them with a view to extort money from them. CEHRD condemnsthis.

On Wednesday 22 October, 2008, a police officer with the Bayelsa PoliceCommand shot dead Timi Joshua, a 25-year-old man accidentally. Apartfrom Timi Joshua, T-Boy, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the Akenfa

PoliceAbduct Miss Juliet Ezechi, Others, Extort Money from them

Policeman Shot Dead 25-year-old Timi Joshua inYenogoa

8


Youth Movement (AYM) was hit by stray bullet from the mobile policeman.

The accidental shooting took place at theAkenfa community in the YenegoaLocal Government Area of Bayelsa State. The unprovoked shooting stirredemotion; the youths of the community later mobilized and disarmed thetrigger-happy mobile policeman. The remains of the deceased weredeposited at a hospital in theAkenfa area.

The police in the area beefed up security around the Divisional police stationin the Akenfa area, to pre-empt any planned protest by aggrieved youths. Amobile police armored personnel carrier was stationed at the entrance of thestation. The Bayelsa state police Relations Officer, DSP Iniobong Iboketteconfirmed the incident to CEHRD, but claimed they arrested the policeofficer while investigations into the matter continued.

On Friday, October 31, 2008, a police constable shot dead a 23-year-oldGabriel Anubituanokole at a popular checkpoint near Oando Filling Stationalong the Agbor/Benin Expressway located in the Agbor in the Ika SouthLocal GovernmentArea of Delta State.

The victim and his friends were traveling in a Honda Odyssey car, the carwas ordered to stop and the police demanded for the particulars of the car.Asthe driver of the car dipped his hands into the car, to bring out the documents,a bang was heard. Unfortunately, the Gabriel was hit by a bullet from thepolice gun.

As Gabriel wailed in pains with blood gushing out of his body, hiscolleagues in the car immediately drew the attention of the police to thetragic incident. An eye-witness who telephoned CEHRD said that when thepolicemen realized that some body had been shot by one of them, theyhurriedly returned the particulars to the driver of the car Gabriel wastraveling in and zoomed off. They were 5 in number at the check point.

Still breathing and bleeding profusely from the bullet wound, the victim,Gabriel Mordi was taken to the Agbor Central Hospital. The hospitalofficials refused to give him treatment until his mother came from Asaba,

Police Shot Dead 23-Year-Old Gabriel at Agbor

9


about 20 minutes drive toAgbor and made payment for her son to be treated.The hospital authority started treatment too late and Gabriel died afterloosing much blood.

Several persons had died this way as a result of negligence and sheercallousness on the part of government hospital officials. CEHRD urges theNigerian government to upgrade its medical facilities and staff it withqualified and competent personnel. When CEHRD contacted the Delta StatePolice Public Relation Officer (PRO), Mr. Charles Muka, the policespokesman confirmed the incident and assured us that the command isinvestigating the matter.

Several times CEHRD gets such assurance from the security officials, butthey end up not doing anything.

On Wednesday, November 5, 2008 23-year-old Gabriel Anubituan KoleMordi was buried at Ebu, near Asaba, the capital of Delta State after arequiem mass at St. Patrick Catholic Church there. Poor boy was buriedamidst wailing and curses on the Nigerian police force and the hospital. Itwas a pathetic scene. CEHRD official attended the burial at Ebu, but theNigerian Police force was not there.

On September 27, 2008, Mrs. Ibiene Ogundu, a broadcaster with the RiversState Television (RSTV) had done a documentary on her radio stationentitled, “Prosperity; Right Here, Right Now”. The documentary examinedthe flamboyance lifestyle and crass materialism of Pentecostal pastors. Thedocumentary did not single out any particular pastor or church as itsthematic concern. It focused generally on the issues without mention of aparticular person. No sooner was the documentary aired than Mrs. Ogunducame under threats.

Pastor David Ibiyeomie, the head of the Salvation Ministries, a fast growingPentecostal church headquartered in the GRAof Port Harcourt, Rivers State,angered by the report of Mrs. Ibiene Rowland Ogundu on RSTV, reportedlyordered his church members to rain curses on the poor broadcaster and hergeneration and that they should also pray for her death. A helpless and

Pastor David Ibiyeomie Uses Police to Harass Journalist, ThreatenOthers

10


frightened Ibiene contacted CEHRD to protect her. CEHRD contacted theNigerian union of Journalists (NUJ), rivers state council which shouldprotect journalists. Other human rights organizations were also contacted.CEHRD also issued press statement calling for refrain on the part of thePentecostal pastor. Even journalists who reported the ordeals of Mrs. IbieneRowland Ogaundu found themselves harassed, arrested and detained bypolice on the instructions of Pastor David Ibieyeomie. The NationalNetwork and Surveillance newspapers wrote reports about the harassmentof Mrs. Ogundu.

In the early hours of Tuesday, December 2, 2008, a team of policemen fromthe police headquarters in Abuja led by Alfa Musa, an AssistantSuperintendent of Police invaded the No. 6 Udi Street, Mile 1, Diobu, PortHarcourt office of The National Network and arrested Mr. KennethAmabipi, the executive editor of The National Network Newspaper. He wasreleased later. It would be recalled that on November 18, 2008, the policealso detained surveillance newspaper editor-in-chief and publisher, MrMonday Wehere because of the Ibiyeomie story.

CEHRD condemns the way and manner the Police is used for maliciouspurposes by individuals. The constitution of the Federal Republic ofNigeria, 1999 guarantees the Right to Freedom of Expression and the press(see section 39 (1) and (2)). What Pastor David Ibiyeomie should have donerather than resorting to such savage means was to refute the report that hedoesn't fall in the category of prosperity preachers the Mrs. Ibiene RowlandOgundu report described.

On Sunday, December 7, 2008, men of the Joint Security Patrol team(mobile policemen) in the Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta Statemanhandled Mr. Patrick Ebogbuem, the chief security officer in charge ofthe Obiaruku General Hospital in the area and inflicted serious injuries onhis chest. The crime of the victim, Ebogbuem is that the Mobile Policemenbrought corpses of 3 persons the police said were armed robbers to bedeposited at the morgue of the hospital. Ebogbuem insisted that the Policeshould bring necessary documentations and the Police got angry and gavehim the beating of his life with gun butts.

Mobile Police Inflict Life-Threatening Injuries on Hospital Worker.

11


A staff of the hospital who revealed the incident to CEHRD said Mr. Patrickis now on danger list. He has injuries in his chest and body and required aspecialist attention. He was referred to the university of Benin TeachingHospital (UBTH), Benin City, Edo State capital. The hospital where thevictim is working is a government hospital.

CEHRD has written to the Delta state police command over the incidenturging the police to save the life of their prey by offering all necessarymedical support and punish the erring police officer. The police neveracknowledge the receipt of the CEHRD's latter or reply it.

Recently, the Paris, French-based journalists watchdog, Reporters withoutBorders in their press Freedom Index ranked Nigeria as the 120 worstviolators of press freedom. According to the group, Nigeria scored 32.23which placed her ahead of 48 countries in terms of press freedom. Butamong African countries, Nigeria is the 31as worst violators of pressfreedom.

Few days after Reporters Without Borders declared their findings, thugs andpolicemen from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Delta StatePolice Command Asaba, the capital of Delta State mandated by Mr. AskiaOgieh, the chairman of Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta Stateon Monday, December 8, 2008 descended on some journalists Mr. RichardOgbage, publisher of The Niger Delta Details and Isoko Details Newspaper(both Local tabloid). Ogbage was traveling to his Igbide village in thecouncil area when thugs attacked him and police detectives from CIDarrested him.

Richard Ogbege, the victim of the council boss' lawlessness was firstdetained at the police cell in the area for 12 hours before being taken to thestate Police headquarters, Asaba where the newspaper publisher washarassed by police officials clearly under the instruction ofAskia Ogieh.

CEHRD gathered that even journalists, Joe Ogbodu andAmour Udemude ofthe Compass and Niger Delta standard newspapers respectively who hadvisited the council to find out the position of the chairman following the

Delta Council Boss Uses Thugs, Police to Detain, Harass Journalists

th

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arrest of their colleague, narrowly escaped being lynched by stern-lookingthugs loyal to the council boss. They were harassed and threatened to leavethe council secretariat by the chairman,Askia Ogieh. It took the interventionof some sympathetic visitors to the council who pleaded with the chairmanbefore the journalists were allowed to leave in peace and not in pieces.

In October, 2008 Richard Gbage had, in The Isoko Details newspaperreported, “ ”.According to the report,Mr. Askia Ogieh, the chairman of Isoko South Local Government area, anoil and gas rich council in Delta state, had expended 400 million naira within100 days in office in a manner that was not transparent. The chairman wasangered by such revealing report of misuse of the council funds meant fordeveloping the area, but was instead to under-developed and poverty-stricken Isoko South area. He rented thugs and policemen to harass, arrestand detained the journalist and others.

CEHRD called the private mobile phone of the council boss to urge him torelease the newspaperman and respond to the allegations raised in thepublication rather than adopting such thuggish and undemocratic behaviour,but he wouldn't pick his phone. We gathered that the publisher was laterreleased from the police cell due to pressures from CEHRD and othergroups.

On December 3, 2008, two policemen hired by Okwudili Ezeamam, a shoetrader, shot dead Mr. Chukwudi Sampson Maduchem over a Three hundredthousand naira ($2,200) money owned the victim, Mr. Chukwudi byOkwudili.

On the above date, CEHRD reliably gathered that Mr. Okwudili Ezeamama,a trader who deals in shoes and wears had persuaded Mr. ChukwudiSampson Maduchem, a 27-year-old final year law student of the AnambraState University, Uli, Anambra State and a shoe dealer, to accompany him(Okwudili) to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Wharf in Port Harcourt,Rivers State. That he would buy table salt and after that pay him the

Squandermania; N400 million Scam

Hired Policemen Shot Dead Maduchem over N300,000 (about $2,200)credit

13


whooping sum of N300, 000 ($2,200) he was owing Chukwudi.

Little did Chukwudi know that death was lucking around? Two Policecorporals Mr. Okwudili Ezeamama, who runs a Shop at No. 42, Creek Road,and resides at No. 50, Moore House Street, Port Harcourt, had hired werewaiting with their fully loadedAK47 riffles to strike.

Around 11.30am, Okwudili Ezeamama had arrived with his prey, Mr.Chukwudi Sampson Maduchem.Abimaku Wahala and JoshuaAngazi, bothcorporals from the NPA police station arrived and shot dead Chukwudi. Hereportedly died instantly from bullet wounds. CEHRD investigatorsgathered that it was wares hawker who recognized the victim and ran toreport to Mr. Sampson Maduchem, the father of the deceased. The culpritshad thought their misdeeds would not be exposed but the tragic news wasevery where around the NPAarea.

Mr. Sampson Maduchem, the father of the victim wrote a petition to thepolice and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Rivers StatePolice Command told CEHRD that the two policemen were arrested.However, they never allowed CEHRD to see them in their cell neither givedetails of the matter. We later gathered that corporalAbimaku Wahala is stillbeing held at the CID cell, but that his colleague, Joshua Angazi has beenreleased.

CEHRD is worried that police who are supposed to protect lives andproperties, could be rented like a thug to kill the people they are supposed toprotect at will. CEHRD also doubts police sincerity in this matter. Even theautopsy report that the victim's father paid for is being withheld by thepolice. CEHRD has written to the police over the matter.

For not being able to cough out N40, 000 to give to the policemen at theDiobu Mile one police station, Port Harcourt, Kaladi Batubo who hails fromAbonnema inAkuku-Toru Local GovernmentArea of Rivers State has beendumped at the Port Harcourt Prisons where he is still languishing as at thetime of compiling this report.

Kaladi Languishes In Prison for Not Giving Police N40, 000 Bribe.

14


Kaladi, 25, was among 17 Port Harcourt residents who were arrested onThursday May 6, 2008 during an early morning raid by policemen from theDiobu Mile 1 division. The heavily armed police team stormed Udi Waterfront, a slum settlement in Diobu at about 4am that fateful day, shootingsporadically, both into the air and at ground level. While the shootings weregoing on, they were smashing doors and windows capturing male residentsof the area. Some of the victims of the early morning raid received variousdegrees of injuries.

Among those arrested was an 18-year-old boy identified as Idong.Althoughthey were not told the reason for the raid, they were all bundled to the Mile 1police station and detained. At the station, they were told to bring betweenN15, 000 and N40, 000 naira before they would be released. The 18-year-oldIdong was billed N18, 000 but the family members were able to pay onlyN10, 000. They were told not to fail to bring the balance of N8, 000.

Initially, Kaladi was billed by the policemen N40, 000 as price for his liberty.When our field officers talked with Sonia, sister to the detained Kaladi whowas going to the police to ask for his release, she disclosed that the familyoffered to pay N25, 000 to the police, which the policemen rejected bluntly.However, following an intervention by some CEHRD officials, Kaladi wasreleased free of charge on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 after spending seven daysin the dirty police cell.

But on the following day, Wednesday May 14, he was re-arrested when hewent back to the Police station to ask for his handset and golden necklacewhich were seized from him by the policemen. He was arrested and detainedand the policemen told him that he was ungrateful. “Others paid money fortheir release, but you were released free and you have the mind to come backto ask for your handset and necklace”, one of the policemen told him.Arrested with him on that May 14 was his sister, Sonia, who bargained forhis release when he was first arrested and offered to purchase his brother'sfreedom with N25, 000. She was later told to bring the N25, 000 she onceoffered on behalf of his brother failing which she would be charged forcultism. Kaladi was later dragged to a Chief Magistrate court sitting in PortHarcourt on May 15, 2008 and was charged with cultism. The Magistratesuit no is PMC, /597c/2008. A human right group later went to a state High

15


Court to seek his bail.As at the time of this report, the motion for his bail hasnot been moved as the judge handling it seems to be avoiding the case.Kaladi is still in prison.

A 25-year-old girl (names withheld) was gang-raped for over 4 hourscontinuously by a gang of 10 hoodlums. The ugly incident took place at theSt. Thomas area of Diobu, Port Harcourt on Thursday, May 15 2008. “I wasdragged from a bus by 4 of the boys at about 11pm and taken to a junglewhere 6 other people were waiting and one after the other, the 10 of themtook their turn to rape me”, the traumatized girl told CEHRD with tears inher eyes.

The girl said that as soon as they dragged her to their bunk, a mechanicgarage littered with abandoned vehicles, they subjected her to seriousbeatings, tore her skirt and blouse before embarking on the sexualescapades. “As each of them was doing it, without condom, others wereurging him to do quickly and give them chance saying o boy do quickly nowmake I do my own”, she stated. They continued like that until about 3amwhen they finally allowed her to go. The rape victim said that initially shewanted to break loose and run away, but was warned that if she tried it, shewould be killed. “I no wan die, I was helpless, so, I resigned to fate and keptmy body for them, leaning on one of the abandoned vehicles”, she said.When they became satisfied, they told her to run but warned that she shouldnot try to alert the police.

They also seized her clothes, leaving her to go in pant and bra only. Theexhausted girl managed to trace the house of one of her friends around thatarea and as soon as she entered the house, she collapsed. Her friend gave herclothes to wear and as soon as day broke, she went and got some drugs forher. She remained with the girl until Sunday when she went home in themorning. For several days, her private part, waist and lower abdominalregion pained her seriously.

When asked why she did not go home or go to the police immediately sheregained her freedom, she said, “I was ashamed coming out naked, I may beseen by people”

Gang rape of a Girl gave Police Opportunity to Extort Money.

16


The girl was being taken home by the bus driver whose name she gave asIkechukwu. Another boy who said that he came for examination in PortHarcourt but was stranded as their vehicle arrived very late was also in thebus. However, as they stopped to help the boy locate his destination, 6 of thehoodlums surrounded them. One of the boys faced the boy, 4 engaged thedriver, Ikechukwu, while one confronted the girl. They wanted to rob thedriver, but he managed to escape and ran away, leaving them behind (herselfand the boy).

Two of the hoodlums pounced on the boy and started to beat himmercilessly, while the other 4 men dragged the girl carelessly along therough path to the jungle. The boy had his head broken. The driver whoescaped from the cultists ran to a JTF checkpoint at Owhonda by Ikwerreroad, near Ikoku junction. After alerting the soldiers, he went back to thespot, brought out N500 note and shouted “come and take money and leavemy sister alone.” Not knowing that that was a bait to apprehend them, one ofthe rapists was sent to get the money from him. When the boy saw the N500,he told him that N500 is an insult and as he wanted to turn back, the man toldhim to wait that he wanted to increase the amount.As soon as the boy turnedto collect the money he grabbed him and wrestled him down, held him tightuntil the soldiers came to arrest him, the cult boy. He was taken to the JTFcheckpoint where he was tied by the soldiers. The detainee was later handedover to the police at the Diobu Mile 1 police station.

With the aid of the boy, 3 other members of the gang, including one Molaidentified as their leader were also arrested. Mola is said to be a local harddrug seller while the rapists are his errand boys and marketers. Thosecaptured revealed other members of their gang. Unfortunately, rather thangoing after them, the policemen went back to the area and arrested 4 otherpersons said to be innocent and took them to the police station. Even therapists told the policemen that those boys were not among them but thepolice insisted on detaining them.

They were later released on Monday May, 19, 2008 after bribing the policewith about N7, 000 each. The rape incident later turned out to be anopportunity for the policemen to extort money as they refused to prosecutethem or carryout investigations into the activities of the hoodlums. It was

17


gathered that the policemen later collected about N150, 000 from the rapistsand let them off the hook after threatening to arrest the raped girl and the busdriver for daring to request that the matter be charged to court. The gang issaid to have been terrorizing the area, raping helpless girls and marriedwomen on daily basis.

The State Security Service (SSS) on June 5, 2008 arrested Samuel Allisonand Henry Jumbo, both peaceful youth activists in the Bonny Island in theBonny Local Government Area of Rivers State. They were detained andtortured in the SSS cell in the area for 3 days.

CEHRD gathered that few days before the youth activists ordeals, DBNLimited and Fougerolle Nigeria Limited, the companies operating in thearea terminated the appointments of some youths from the area hithertoworking with the companies. Samuel Allison and Henry Jumbo were angrythat the companies terminated the appointment of their employees withoutenough reason. The duo wrote letters and went round the area to circulate toyouth bodies, elders and the companies to wade into the matter and reinstatethose sacked.

The action of Allison and Jumbo did not appeal to the officer-in-charge ofthe SSS in the Island. He later arrested them.

Speaking to CEHRD on the Island, Henry Jumbo said: “our sin is that wewrote letters about the indiscriminate termination of our youths by DBNLimited and Fougerolle Nigeria Limited. The SSS boss arrested us. We werecovered with rain coat to disguise us. In the cell, we were tortured withhorse-whip, humiliated and branded with all sort of names. In the cell, heforced guns into our hands without bullet and photographed us and told usthat he will bring charges of armed robbery, militancy and cultism againstus. It is now I understand how poor and innocent people are killed in thiscountry. We will let the world know what happened to us”.CEHRD tried to contact the SSS boss, but was denied entry to his office.However, Kingsley Adonis-pepple told CEHRD that he knows about thetorture of Samuel Allison and Henry Jumbo. “I can't really say this is thecrime they committed. I think the action of the SSS is wicked and inhuman.

SSS Tortures BonnyYouthActivists

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Adonis-Pepple is the chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria(NYCN), Bonny chapter.

AFederal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State hasruled against the State Security Services (SSS) for the violation of thefundamental rights of Ibiba Donpedro, a board member of CEHRD and anaward-wining journalist and Managing Editor of National PointNewspapers based in Portharcourt, while traveling to attend a conference inthe United Kingdom.

Delivering the judgment on Wednesday July 30, 2008, the presiding Judge,Justice Gladys Olotu granted the plaintiff, Ibiba Donpedro, the relief'ssought for and awarded her N500.000.00 damages, in addition, to the returnof 114s copies of her book seized from her by the SSS or payment of anotherN228000 if they fail to return the books. But Ibiba said she doesn't want thebook again, the SSS should rather pay for the book.

The affected book “” was seized from her by the SSS at the Port Harcourt

International Airport Omagwa, in Ikwerre Local Government Area ofRivers State on July 20, 2006. Angered by such violation of her rights withimpunity by the state agents, CEHRD encouraged the victim to seek legaloption and funded the matter. The Duruke's law firm based in Owerri, thecapital of Imo State in the eastern part of Nigeria handled the matter. The suitNo. was FHC/PH/CS/3246/2006.

A 13-year old boy, Mmaduabuchi Okon is presently languishing in PortHarcourt prisons on allegation of armed robbery/cultism. It was gatheredthat the little boy was arrested on Sunday, August 24, 2008 at about 2:00amby a crack team of police men from the notorious and dreaded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, located in Borikiri, Port Harcourt. He was arrestedfrom their house by the team in search of fleeing robbery suspect. The teamstormed the Anozie Waterfront residence of the boy, a slum settlement,broke the door of their room and took him away while he was still sleeping.

CourtAwards N5m Damages to Donpedro for Rights Violation by SSS

Court Dumps 13-Year-Old Boy in Prison

oil in the water, Crude power and militancy in TheNiger Delta

19


The immediate elder sister to the boy, Onyinyechi Okon, 15, disclosed thatshe was sleeping when the policemen came. “I begged them to leave mybrother, that he was a small boy and committed no crime, but they refusedand took him away,” Onyinyechi lamented while sobbing.

The girl also said that when she went to visit her little brother in the policestation in company of their guardian, the aggressive policemen chased themout of the station with horsewhips. He was later arraigned before a ChiefMagistrate Court which remanded him in prison custody and ordered his fileto be sent to the State's Director of Public Prosecution, DPPfor legal advice.

Under the Nigeria's legal system, children below 18 are regarded as Minorsand are not supposed to be tried in a regular court or remanded in prisoncustody with adult suspects.

It was gathered that Mmaduabuchi's problem started when a suspectedarmed robber was caught along Psychiatric Road, Rumuigbo Port Harcourtby a vigilant police officer. On interrogation, the suspect who owned up tocrimes took the policemen to Anozie waterfront where his colleagues werehiding.

However, in the bid to arrest the armed robbers, the 13-years-old primary 4drop out who assists his aunty in selling dried fish was also arrested inaddition to two of the suspected armed robbers.

Reacting to the incident, CEHRD officers had called on the authorities toremove the boy from the prison immediately while proper investigationsshould be carried out as it concerns crime which is a capital offence. Heshould either be freed unconditionally or sent to a remand home.

Mr. Innocent Aguamba, 60, and 19 years old girl, Comfort who claims to bethe former's wife has alleged that policemen from the State Criminal andInvestigation Bureau, Port Harcourt, Rivers State Police commandsnatched a two-month old baby from them on July 7, 2008.

It was gathered that the policemen swooped on the family at number 34Herbert Macaulay Street, Amadi Flat, Old GRA residence in Port Harcourtand arrested the man, the wife and the new born baby accusing them of childtrafficking. Although the police latter released Innocent and his wife, they

FamilyAccuses Police of Snatching, Killing two Month old Baby

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held on to the baby refusing to release her. However, following persistentdemands from the family for the baby, they were told by the police that shedied at a clinic where they took her to for medical attention when she took ill.The police further claimed that they sent the baby to the Port Harcourt

where she was deposited to allow them carry out theirinvestigations and that it was at the children's home that she developed illhealth. The couple lamented that even with the agony of being told that theirbaby has been killed, they were told to pay the sum of N20, 000 for autopsyto be conducted on her. Narrating his ordeal, Mr. Innocent Aguamba said:“Trouble started when my second wife, Mrs. ComfortAguamba put to bed ababy girl and left for her exams at Akwa-Ibom.” Three policemen fromRivers State Police Command headquarters arrested me and my household,including the two-month-old baby on July 7, 2008. Later they told me at thepolice headquarters that I stole the child. “The mother, Comfort finally cameback and reported to the police, they (police) arrested her. After ourstatements to the police, we were granted bail on payment of the sum ofN70, 000 and a date fixed for us to come and collect the child. But when wecame on the appointed day, they took us upstairs and told us that the babyhad taken ill. I want my baby back. I want to know how the baby died, whereshe is, who or what killed her? I need my baby”.

Comfort corroborated Innocent's story as follows: “I gave birth to a babygirl and later I had examinations to write at Akwa Ibom. The baby was notbreast fed from day one. When I came back from the examination, I didn'tsee my baby, when I asked; my mate told me that the police arrested thebaby, alleging she was a stolen baby. “I went to the police headquarters.They asked me how I gave birth to the baby and whether Mr. Aguama wasmy husband. I answered in the affirmative. They accused me of selling thebaby to the man; I denied it and told them I cannot sell my blood for money.They detained me and latter told that the baby was dead and deposited at theBraithwaite Memorial Hospital, BMH mortuary and demanded for N20,000 naira for autopsy. I told them that my baby was healthy before theyarrested her and cannot die like that.” But the police insisted that Innocentwas not the legitimate father of the baby, but may have bought her fromComfort. They alleged that Innocent Aguamba specializes in child stealingand keeping stolen children in his No. 34 Herbert Macaulay Street, AmadiFlat Old GRA, Port Harcourt.“On June 24, 2008, information reached us that a baby was found with Mr.

Children's home

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Aguamba without a mother. Policemen were detailed to check up theinformation. They saw Aguama, but he denied being the one but the wifeidentified him. He denied having any baby within the premises but a babywas sighted by one of the police officers covered with cloth, kept on thefloor and protected under pillow. He was arrested and taken to the policeheadquarters for investigation. The child was immediately dispatched to theChildren Home, Borikiri with a letter dated June 24, 2008 from the policeheadquarters to the officer in charge of the Children Home Borikiri, for careand custody.

On interrogation, police sources said, Aguamba confessed that he actuallymet Comfort, the mother of the baby in February this year, when he went tosee his sister at Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt. She was five monthspregnant. Aguamba admitted approaching the 19 year old girl and startedhaving a secret sexual affair with the pregnant girl in his sister's absence.The girl delivered on June 6 2008 and abandoned the child and ran to AkwaIbom and he decided to adopt the child. Aguamba's wife made a similarstatement. The actual father of the now dead baby is not known yet. WhenAguamba's sister was contacted, she said: “When I came back from churchone day, I met a pregnant girl in my house. At a point, my brother,Aguambastarted sleeping with her. And as soon as the girl delivered, she abandonedthe baby and ran away. The girl was said to be a student of University ofCalabar,Uncial and would not want her parents to hear about the pregnancy.Aguamba and his wife took the baby away from my house”, she said.

Police Tortured Journalist Isine IbangaOn November 10, 2008, President Umaru Yar'Adua warned governmentofficials and security agencies in Nigeria that he won't condone humanrights abuse. Yar'Adua said that during the opening session of the 44ordinary session of the African commission on Human and People's Rights(ACHPR). On November 11, 2008, a team of police officials on patrolcaptured Mr. Isine Ibanga, the Rivers State bureau chief of The Punchnewspaper, who walking back from a restaurant, close to his residence inD/line area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Isine after being captured by the rampaging police team was horse-whipped, beaten and brutalized even when he (Isine) identified to the police

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that he is a journalist. The victim told CEHRD that they threatened to shoothim dead and declare that he is a militant after he told his torturers that he is ajournalist. The victim showed injuries all over his body the police inflictedon him.

CEHRD had volunteered to take up the matter to compel the authority, tobring the lawless police officer to book, but the victim (Isine Ibanga) refusedthe offer, arguing that “ I know what CEHRD can do, if CEHRD take up anyaction against the police officers, they will be sacked and their families willsuffer”. CEHRD was informed that the police never apologized for theirillegal action nor take care of the medical bills of their Prey (Ibanga).

On November 30, 2008, a trigger-happy, and drunken police officer,Corperal Daniel Yahuda Shot dead, Mr. Ogbonna, a motorbike riderpopularly called Okada in Nigeria and wounded two others at the cattlemarket, along the Benin/Asaba Expressway in Asaba, the Delta Statecapital.

CEHRD gathered corporal Yahudu had left his duty post at the MTN officeinAsaba, and walked for some 3 kilometers away, to the cattle market wherehe got himself drunk with the locally distilled gin called Ogogoro.

According to Madu Uche, who said is the friend of the deceased, he spokewith CEHRD on phone “I was not there when Ogbonna was killed, but fromwhat those who witnessed it told us, he (Ogbonna) was tired because the sunwas high, and was resting in a shop near the cattle market. He saw a girl ofabout 5 years hawking groundnuts and he beckoned on her with the intentionof buying the groundnuts. The police officer turned and asked Ogbonna whyhe called him. Ogbonna said he was not calling him. The argument becamehot between two of them, and the police officer brought out his riffles andfired Ogbonna. He fell and died, even two other persons around werewounded”.

Reports has it that there was confusion, as aggrieved people arounddescended heavily on the police officer with sticks and stones if not theintervention of a police patrol van, the police officer would have been killed.

Police Officer Killed Okadaman, Two Others

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The police was beaten to a state of coma. One of those hit by the police bulletwas a pregnant woman. CEHRD learnt that the intervening police team tookthe lifeless Ogbonna's body, the unconscious police officer and two othervictims of the police shooting to a government hospital inAsaba.

Charles Muka, the police spokesman in Delta State confirmed and quoted assaying “the policeman (Corporal DanielYahuda) would definite bear hiscross”.

Recently, the Paris, French-based journalists watchdog, Reporters WithoutBorders (RWB) in their press freedom Index ranked Nigeria as the 120worst violators of press freedom. According to the group, Nigeria scored32.23 which placed her ahead of 48 countries in terms of press freedom. Butamong African countries, Nigeria is the 31at worst violators of pressfreedom.

Few days after Reporters Without Borders declared their findings, thugsand policemen from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), DeltaState command Asaba, the capital of Delta State sent by Mr. Askia Ogieh,the chairman of Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State onMonday, December 8, 2008 arrested and tortured. Mr. Richard Ogbage, thepublisher of The Niger Delta Details and Isoko Details newspapers (bothlocal tabloid). Ogbage was traveling to his Igbide village in the council areawhen thugs intercepted him and handed him over to the police detectivesfrom CID arrested him.

Richard Ogbege, the victim of the council boss lawlessness was firstdetained at the police cell in the area for 12 hours before taken to the statepolice headquarters, Asaba where the newspaper publisher said washarassed by police officials clearly under the instruction ofAsjia Ogieh.

CEHRD gathered that even journalists, Joe Ogbodu andAmour Udemude ofthe Compass and Niger Delta Standard newspapers respectively who hadvisited the council to find out the position of the chairman following thearrest of their colleague, narrowly escaped being lynched by stern-looking

Askia Ogieh, Isoko Council Boss Uses Thugs, Police to Detain, HarassJournalists

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thugs loyal to the council boss. They were harassed and threatened to leavethe council secretariat by the chairman's thugs under the watchful eyes of thechairman himself,Askia Ogieh. It took the intervention of some sympatheticvisitors to the council who pleaded with the chairman before the journalistwas allowed to leave in peace and not pieces.

In the October, 2008 Richard Gbage had in The Isoko Details newspaperreported, “ ”.According to the report,Mr.Askia Ogieh, the chairman of Isoko South Local Government, an oil andgas rich council in the Delta State had squandered 400 million naira in 100days in office. The chairman angered by such revealing report used thecouncil funds instead of using it to develop the oil and gas-rich, but under-developed and poverty-stricken Isoko South area, rented thugs andpolicemen to harass arrest and detained the journalist and others.

CEHRD called the private mobile phone of the council boss to urge him torelease the newspaperman, and respond to the allegations raised in thepublication rather than adopting such thuggish and undemocratic behaviour,but he wouldn't pick his phone. We gathered that the publisher was laterreleased from the police cell due to pressures from CEHRD and othergroups.

Squandermania; N400 million Scam

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“Every person has a right to life, and so one shall be reprievedintentionally of his life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in

respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty inNigeria”

JTF Soldier Shoots Oluchi over N50 Bribe

Section 33 (1) of the 1999 Nigerian constitution, chapter IV

In the early morning of Tuesday, March 25, 2008, soldiers attached to theNiger Delta military task force, code-named Joint Task Force (JTF) postedto an intersection of Echue by Illoabuchi streets in the Diobu area, south eastof Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers state shot Ms. OluchiFlorenceEgbuka, an Adult Education student of the Rivers State Universityof Science and Technology (RSUST), Nkpolu, Port Harcourt..

Oluchi had boarded a commercial motorbike popularly called Okada inNigeria to her destination, but as they got to the JTF checkpoint, they wereflagged to a halt as usual by the armed soldiers. But when the motorbikerider was asked to pay N50 (less than half a dollar), an increase of N30 fromthe usual N20 (less than quarter half dollar) which they normally pay, theOkada rider pretended to be willing to pay the bribe. However, when thesoldier turned his attention to another commercial Okada for similarextortion, the one carrying Oluchi sped off without paying the bribe.

As they were moving, one of the soldiers lifted up his AK-47 riffle and firedat the fleeing motorbike. The bullet hit Oluchi who was shouting at theOkada driver to pay the new rate (N50 bribe). The JTF bullet pierced her intoher heart region and she slumped from the Okada.

Groaning in pains, she was conveyed by sympathetic passers by to Temeclinic located at the same Diobu area. Teme Clinic is used by MSF (Doctorswithout Boarders) to treat patients of violence without a fee. When CEHRDcontacted JTF spokesman, Lt. Col. Musa Sagir over the incident, he said thathe has not received report of the incident, but promised to investigate thematter and act accordingly. Oluchi's fate still hangs in the balance as at the

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(2) Military Task Forceand State Violence

Military Task Force and State Violence

time of compiling this report. She was later moved from Teme Clinic to anundisclosed hospital for operations to extract the bullets lodged in the heartregion of the woman.

SinceAugust, 2007, the task force was deployed to the region to stem militiaand gang violence, the JTF has been implicated in a lot of flagrant violationof human rights of poor citizens.

At a time the United Nations (UN) special Rapporteur on torture and othercruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, Professor Manfred Nowalk justreleased a damaging report on torture in Nigeria by security officials at theUN Human Rights Council, Chris Ekiyor, a dentist and president of the IjawYouth Council (IYC) was severely tortured by soldiers attached to the JointTask Force (JTF)

On Tuesday, February 19, 2008, Ekiyor was on his way to conduct theirorganization's election in Oporoma community, the headquarters ofSouthern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa state when two soldiersattached to JTF accosted the IYC delegation and brutalized the IYC leaderand others. The soldiers who attacked them are captain Toro and SergeantBello.

When CEHRD contacted the JTF commander in Bayelsa state, they initiallydenied ever assaulting anybody but later admitted and apologizedpersonally to Dr. Ekiyor, who has been involved in peace works and hasbeen persistently calling for an end to the violence in the delta.

On April 5, 2008, Mr. Warisenibo Cyrus Fubara, one time supervisorycouncilor for Works in the Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of RiversState was brutalized at one of the voting centers in the area during a localcouncil election. Worried by the late arrival of electoral materials, he hadasked an official of the Professor Nimi Briggs led Rivers State IndependentElectoral Commission (RSIEC) who was drafted to the area to conduct theelection, why the delay. Not fewer than 50 soldiers of the Joint Task Force(JTF) drafted to the area descended on Fubara.

Soldiers Torture IjawYouth Leader

Soldiers Brutalize Fubara for Asking Question during Run-OffElections

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The victim had gun butts injuries all over his body when CEHRD saw him.The soldiers were clearly doing the biddings of some politicians in the area.CEHRD gathered that on Saturday, March 29, 2008, when the localgovernment elections were held in the area, it was marred by violence,thuggery and hijacking of electoral materials perpetrated by the rulingPeople's Democratic Party (PDP). Warisenibo Cyrus Fubura was amongsome opposition politicians who rose up in an out right condemnation of thepoll and the elections were cancelled and a run-off was earmarked for theApril 5, 2008.

During the elections in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area like otherareas, members of the JTF were allegedly bribed by the ruling PDP to givesecurity to the party officials while they rig the election.

The military assault on Fubara was so serious that he was admitted in ahospital.

A soldier of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Bayelsa State command in midApril, 2008 shot Mr. Woyingimiebi Anderson Igoniderigha, an indigene ofOpokuma in the Kolokuma Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsastate, over his refusal to pay him N500 bribe.

The trigger-happy soldier shot the truck conductor in the leg. The victim wasadmitted at Glory Land Medical Centre where he underwent treatments andneeded further treatments abroad since Nigeria does not have the facility totake care of his fatal gun wounds.After that, the poor boy will also require tobe using artificial limb which will require some money. CEHRD gatheredthat at the time of this report, the bill has not been settled by the victim's poorparents or the JTF whose member committed the act.

Lt. Col. Chris Musa, commander of the Bayelsa command of JTF disclosedto CEHRD in Yenagoa that the trigger-happy soldier of his command hasbeen dismissed after an orderly room trial. He also claimed that hiscommand had deposited some funds at the Glory Land Medical Centretowards the discharge of the victim.

JTFshoots Truck Conductor over N500

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This is not the first case, men and personnel of the JTF had been implicatedin several cases of violence, torture and criminal acts all over the delta.

CEHRD is extremely worried that if the affected officer of the JTF isdismissed, what happens to him? Won't he join several criminal cartelsoperating in the delta to further deteriorate the insecurity in the region andthe country in general? CEHRD is aware that the various security bodies inthe country lack the resources to monitor their officials when they aredismissed from the army.Alot of them end up in criminal and violent gangs?

Soldiers attached to the Joint Task Force (JTF) code-named OperationRestore Hope, on Saturday afternoon,April 12, 2008, arrested Sandy Cioffi,Tammie Sims, Sea Porter, cliff Worsham and Joel Bisina at Oghara in SapeleLocal GovernmentArea of Delta State as they were about boarding a boat totravel to the creeks of the western Niger Delta (Delta State), Southern partsof Nigeria. Arrested with them was Joel Bisinia who was facilitating theirassignment in the area.

The victims had facilitated the establishment of the Niger Delta FriendshipLibrary at the Oporaza community in the Warri-South-West LocalGovernment Area of Delta state. Bisina is the executive director of theWarri, Delta state- based Niger Delta Professionals for Development(NIPRODEV). He hails from Oporoza. Sources at the JTF command inWarri, the slummy metropolis of Delta state told CEHRD that the victimswere arrested for traveling illegally which amounts to security breach.

When, in the afternoon of that Saturday, some one in Warri contactedCEHRD officials, informing them about the arrest of the 4 Americans andthe Nigerian civil worker, Bisina., CEHRD made frantic effort to establishcontact with Bisina who sent a short message from his mobile phone wherethey were arrested. To ensure their freedom, CEHRD contacted severalgroups and media organizations locally and internationally and the mattergot some attention.The 4 Americans and Joel Bisina were kidnapped by operatives of the JTFThey were flown to the capital of Nigeria, Abuja and after stressful

SoldiersArrest 4Americans, one Nigerian

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interrogations, were released after spending some days in the dungeon of theNigeria state.

Sometimes last year, Judith Burdin Asuni, the executive director ofAcademic Associates Peace Work (AAPW), her staff, Danjuma and 2German Journalists were arrested on trumped up charges of espionage. Theywere later “pardoned” and released after public outcry and long legal battlein Nigerian courts.

The latest victims of state assault were doing a documentary on the NigerDelta. No charge was preferred against them. They were later released,while the Americans left the country to their base in Seattle in the UnitedStates ofAmerica (USA), Joel returned to continue his work in the delta.

In the early hours of Sunday, June 8, 2008, heavily armed troops from theJoint Task Force (JTF) also called Operation Restore Hope (ORH) raided thecamps of the Deadly Underdogs and Niger Delta Freedom Fighters (NDFF)in Egbema, in the Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State andEpebu community in the Ogbia Local Government Areas of Bayelsa Staterespectively. Five suspected militants were allegedly killed and theirweaponsseized during the attacks.

The JTF soldiers who stormed the camps in gunboats took the militantsunawares and engaged them in a grave gun battle which lasted for hours.JTF's spokesman in Bayelsa state, Major Omale Ochagwuba said that 3militants were killed in Bayelsa, 2 in Egbema and weapons mopped up fromboth camps. The military said that they recovered 3AK47 riffles, two Italianmade Berretta pistols, one German G3 riffle, one automatic pump actionriffle, 437 rounds of 7.6mm ammunitions, 20Ak47 magazines, one cylindermagazine, 2 bullet proof jackets and 2 mobile phones. The military furthersaid upon arrival at the camps, their men came under heavy bombardment,from the militant's gunfire but did not loose any member of their troop.

JTF was angered that the Deadly Underdogs and NDFF were fingered tohave carried out the deadly attacks on the Olero flow station owned by the

Soldiers Storm Militants' Camps, Kill 5

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American oil giant, Chevron Nigeria Limited, which led to the closure of oilproduction there. Some JTF men were also killed during the attack on theOlero flow station and weapons seized.

CEHRD investigations revealed that the Deadly Underdogs was bornaround late 2006; it is a small group, highly organized and operates morelike a secret gang, making the attacks to be deadly. Its fighters number over50, with a lot of young combatants. The Deadly Underdogs have a lot ofAK47s, G3, Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), and dynamites in herarsenal, including charms and amulets. It operates mostly around theEgbema kingdom, an Ijaw territory in the Warri North Local GovernmentArea of Delta State. They are not too politically inclined like others, ratherthe group operates more like a freelance criminal group.

CEHRD reliably gathered that MEND has been trying to deepen theirideological consciousness about the Niger Delta cause and bring them to itsfold.

On the other hand, the Niger Delta Freedom Fighters (NDFF) came intolimelight around 2005. They are more political.Arelatively large group, andhighly organized too. The group has few camps scattered around the creeksof Delta and Bayelsa states. They are heavily armed and have been involvedin hostage-taking, kidnapping and ransom collections mostly in the Bayelsastate where it has a stronghold. NDFF is headed by a young man code-named Egbema one.

The camp recently raided at Epebu community is a new camp they wanted toopen. They have numerous dangerous small arms and Light Weapons intheir armories. It is difficult to determine the group's network becausecommanders grant separate interviews to journalists and researchers,making it difficult to ascertain whether or not they are really under theMEND umbrella, although, they are said to be in touch with MEND.

CEHRD investigation revealed that the attack was carried out by the 81Battalion of the Nigerian Army under the JTF at Koko Town in Warri NorthLocal GovernmentArea of Delta State.

About the same time, JTF also raided other militants' camps in Edo andOndo states. The JTF raids angered the deltaic insurrectionary umbrella, theMovement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). Its

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spokesman, Jomo Gbomo described the attack as “unprovoked aggression”by the JTF on the unarmed civilian of the Ijaw riverine communities.

Jomo Gbomo's MEND promised to avenge the attack. The JointRevolutionary Council (JRC), another militant clearing house operating inthe region and leading a faction of MEND also promised to avenge thesoldiers' attack in an online statement issued by the JRC spokesperson,Cynthia Whyte.

In the wake of the JTF attacks on militants' camps and Ijaw communities,Ijaw activists under Ijaw Youth Leaders Forum (IYLF) withdrew fromdialogue with the Federal government. In a communiqué issued after the endof the IYLF's meeting in Oporoza, the traditional headquarters of theGbaramatu clan of Ijaw in the Warri South West Local Government Area ofDelta State, the forum cited alleged non-commitment and acts of aggressionagainst its kinsmen as reason for the action. Amongst those at the meetingwere Chief Government Ekpemupolo popularly called Tompolo, a topcommander of MEND in Delta state, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, president of the IjawYouth Council (IYC) and Alhaji Dokubo-Asari, leader of the Niger DeltaVolunteer Force (NDVF)

Recently, a group which called itself, Association of Itsekiri and Ijaw in theRiverine Area (AIIRA) sent a letter to CEHRD. The letter entitled:“

” was signedby Mr. Friday Floiti and Oritsegubemi Ejisan. The letter reads in parts, “Wewrite to call the attention of well meaning Nigerians, government, defenseheadquarter and the international community about the incessant andarbitrary abuse of power by the Joint Task Force commander and his menalong the Benin River and Escravos area of Delta state. Perhaps, because ofthe low level of literacy in the area, the JTF and its commander hasmetamorphosed into a demigod and even a deity that needs to be worshippedby all. Our female children are forcefully raped and arms and ammunitionsare indiscriminately sold out to our youths so that they can engagethemselves in gun battle and kill themselves on slight issues that we wouldhave been able to settle in our traditional ways. For men of the military Joint

SoldiersAccused of Rape, Sale ofArms

Oppression, Suppression and Intimidation By men of Operation RestoreHope Ahead the Benin River and Escravos axis of Delta State,

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Task Force also known as operation Restore Hope to come to our villagesand houses and trash us, to stop us from fishing and do small scale farmingbusiness amount to adding insult to the injury already inflicted on us by thegovernment of Nigeria. We are, therefore, constrained to call for thewithdrawal of the JTF commander as he is trying to instigate another roundof crisis in the state going by the way he operates”

On Monday, April 7, soldiers of the Joint Task Force (JTF) attached to theBeta Glass Plc, a glass company owned by the Leventis group operating inEkakpamre community in the Ughelli South Local Government Area ofDelta State shot dead Onoriede Gboroghonhwe; a youth of the Ekakpamrecommunity.

Following massive pollution of the community by the glass company whichdischarges industrial wastes into the community streams, the villagersstaged a peaceful protest to the company premises in their community.Soldiers of the JTF who were attached to the company fired life bullets at theprotesters who were carrying placards with the inscriptions: “stop pollutingour river” and “pay us compensation”. The bullet killed Onoriede, a motorbike operator who joined the protest. He died instantly.

When CEHRD contacted Beta Glass Plc over the incident, Mr. FridayAdigbo, the Human Resources manager of the company said on behalf of thecompany that they did not send soldiers to kill members of their hostcommunity and that they have not polluted the community's streams asEkakpamre community claimed.

After shooting dOnoriede, the JTF men said that the late Onoriede was anarmed robber, but when criticisms trailed their action and utterances, theykept mute over the tragic incident. Seven other persons were also injured,one of them is Fovie John, a 21-year-old student of Ekakpamre GrammarSchool, and he was rushed to the General hospital in Otu-Jeremi in the samearea.

Contrary to Adigbo's claim that “We don't use chemicals in our productionline and nothing strange is introduced into our system during production,”

Soldiers shoot Peaceful Protesters, Kill One

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Greenwatch Nigeria Limited, an environment consultant, in 2002 released adetailed scientific report about the contamination of the area. The reportrevealed that Beta Glass Plc is actually polluting the environment of the poorrural community.

A CEHRD volunteer, Justine Ijeomah was subjected to severe beatings bymen of the Nigerian military on May 31, 2008. Also dehumanized was anapprentice attached to Justine at his shop where he sells motor spare parts,Sunday Odimegwu (who is about 17 years old). The problem started whenthe soldiers went to the shop of Justine at number 139 Ikwerre Road, withinthe Young Shall Grow Motors garage near the Ikokwu bus stop, Mile 2Diobu, Port Harcourt at about 5.50pm. By the time the soldiers came, Justinehad already gone home while his assistant was getting set to go home too.Monday disclosed to CEHRD that when the soldiers came, they asked himwhat he was doing. He told them that he had just finished the day's work andwas getting set to retire home.

They called him thief and ordered him to follow them to where they parkedtheir white-coloured pick-up van without registration number. They toldhim to go and fix something for them. When the boy told them that he hadclosed and was about going home in order to be able to get home before dark,they started dragging and beating him. They only stopped when anotherperson offered to go and do the work for them. While the boy was beingbeaten up, Justine was informed through his cell phone. He rushed to thescene and as his boy was narrating to him what had happened, the soldierspounced on both of them, kicking angrily and ferociously. When Justine hada little chance, he phoned the Army spokesman in the state, Col, Musa Sagirto complain to him what he was passing through in the hands of his men.When he wanted to give one of the soldiers the phone to speak with theirsuperior officer, they became more furious and intensified the beatings fortrying to let their superior officer know what was going on.

For several days, Justine and his shop assistant experienced severe pains allover their bodies as a result of the brutality.

Soldiers Brutalize CEHRD Volunteer

SSS Bullet Puts 50-year-old Woman on Danger List

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On May 28, 2008, Madam Elizabeth Krokele, a 50-year-old single motherand bread hawker was shot accidentally by an over-zealous officer from theState Security Services (SSS) Command in Warri, Delta state alongOrhuwhoron road in the Warri metropolis.

Security operatives in Nigeria are guilty of driving recklessly on the roadamidst noisy blaring of siren and often shoot indiscriminately whilespeeding through the bad roads in the country. An SSS officer who was in avehicle escorting a bullion van to a branch of a Bank at Orwian, Delta statehit poor Krokele with his “stray bullet”. The SSS was struggling for the rightof way with other vehicles around where the victim was hawking bread atthe junction when the bullet hit her.

She was taken to a hospital by a sympathetic passerby when the incidentoccurred. Madam Elizabeth Krokele bled profusely and lost large volume ofblood. CEHRD learnt that blood transfusion had already been done on her,but it may not be up to the quantity required to recuperate her.

Meanwhile, the hospital later detained the person who brought the victim fornot being able to pay two hundred thousand naira (N200, 000) medical bills.CEHRD is not aware whether the SSS visited her in the hospital or made anypromise to settle the medical bill.

On Thursday, May 22, 2008, about 10 militants armed with AK47 riffles,dynamites and machetes invaded the Alakiri flow station; an oil facilityoperated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and attemptedto blow the facility up. But in a swift move to repel the invading gunmen, adetachment of soldiers of the Joint Task Force (JTF) posted there engagedthe gunmen in gun battle, killing two of them while 8 others escaped livingtheir dead colleagues behind.

The Shell's Alakiri flow station is located in the Okirika Local GovernmentArea of Rivers State. CEHRD investigation revealed that the militants camefrom a camp near the area which is operated by TomAteke of the Niger DeltaVigilante Movement (NDVM). The armed gang attacked the facility in apassenger boat which they had hijacked. Confirming the incident,spokesman of the JTF, Lt. Col. Musa Sagir said: “In the crossfire, two

JTFKill 2 MilitantsAt Shell's Flow Station in Rivers.

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miscreants lost their lives”. Sagir also claimed that his men seized 3 Ak47riffles, 122 ammunition of 7.62m, 4 Dynamites abandoned by the attackers.

Samuel Alalibo, a 58-year-old fisherman spoke his native Okrika dialect toCEHRD in Alakiri community two days after the deadly attack. Below isthe translated version of Alalibo's interview from his Okrika tongue intoEnglish;

A detachment of the Joint Task Force (JTF) on Thursday, June 5, 2008 atabout 7.10am arrested Damiete West, the acting editor-in-chief of

a Port Harcourt-based weekly newspaper. Damiete West wasarrested along other 9 persons at Eagle Island located on the outskirts of thePort Harcourt city and transferred to the headquarters of the Rivers Statecommand of the State Security Services (SSS) where they were held over 24hours.

Narrating his ordeal to CEHRD monitors who heard about their arrest andcontacted the Rivers State branch of the Nigerian Union of Journalists(NUJ) and other human rights organizations in the state, to call for theirrelease, West, who was the only victim who was bold to talk to CEHRD(perhaps, because he is a journalist) lamented:

An angry Damiete West lamented further:

“For the past 40 years I have been a fisherman. The things I see now Ihave not seen it since I was born. I have 7 children. I trained them inschools all of them from my fishing profession. We can't go for fishingagain. You are either harassed by soldiers or militants. I don't reallyknow the side to follow. We used to go to fishing even in the night. Thereare no fishes in the river to catch and the little there, soldiers and militantswon't allow us to catch. There are times when fish buyers come here andthey go back without buying fish. We are really suffering and hungrynow”.

“My brothers as I am talking to you right now, I do not know my offence.Even the SSS men were confused; they don't know what allegation to levelagainst me. After properly identifying myself as a journalist and theacting editor-in-chief of The Hard Truth newspaper, they still went aheadto put me in a cell”.

JTFArrest Journalist, 9 Others, Detain Them in SSS Cell

The HardTruth,

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“How can you see somebody on the road and pass judgment that he or sheis a criminal? This is absolute nonsense. Our security agents need properorientation about their jobs so that they will not trample on people'sfundamental human rights”.The victim also disclosed that the SSS the JTF handed them over to wasreally confused about what to do with them because The JTF could not saythe crime they commuted.

When CEHRD monitors asked him whether he would sue the JTF, Westasked, “Can the Nigerian judiciary give one justice? A judiciary that issoaked in corruption”.

CEHRD investigations revealed that in a similar manner; innocent captivesare detained, tortured and in most cases killed.

On Monday, May 19, 2008, while embarking on a campaign ahead of the re-run governorship election slated for Saturday, May 24, 2008, a detachmentof soldiers of the Joint Task Force (JTF) stationed at about 50 meters at thesecretariat of the opposition Action Congress (AC) along Isaac BoroExpress Way, Etegwe, Yenogoa, the Bayelsa state capital brutalized somemembers of theAC campaign team.

58 members of the party who had boarded buses and heading for Sagbama,the capital of Sagbama Local GovernmentArea and Ekeremor, the capital ofEkeremor Local Government Area of the State, to campaign for their partywere horse-whipped by the soldiers. Some of them were beaten with gunbutts.

CEHRD learnt that the earlier solidarity visit ofAlhaji DokuboAsari, leaderof the Niger Delta Peoples' Volunteer Force (NDPVF) to the AC partySecretariat in Yenagoa and his call on Bayelsans to vote out the governmentof the People's Democratic Party (PDP) must have provoked the action ofthe soldiers. Dokubo Asari was an armed militia leader, but later disarmedminimally, embraced dialogue, but remained vocal on several politicalissues. His presence in spite of his relationship with the YarAdua/Jonathans's government still evokes fears in some quarters.

Bayelsa Re-Run Election: Soldiers Torture Opposition Party Members

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CEHRD recalls that it was Miriki Ebikibina, secretary of the AC in the statewho persuaded his party men and women from resorting to violentconfrontation with the soldiers.

CEHRD condemned the action of the soldiers and described it isprovocative. The attitude of the soldiers towards the opposition AC showsthat clearly they were working for the ruling PDP.

A dehumanized 33-year-old Stella Teker, a single mother of two and anactiveAC member narrated her ordeal to CEHRD monitor,

”.An officer of the Bayelsa State police command said the matter wasreported to them, and that they have to investigate to found out the truth.

On April 15, 2008, a court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, the capital ofRivers State nullified the election of Chief Timipre Slyva and ordered a freshgovernorship election on the ground that the election was rigged. The ACfiled the court action challenging the PDP On May 24 , 2008. Thegovernment was sacked and re-run election fixed. CEHRD monitored theelection and can report that there were incidences of violence, low turnoutand rigging by the PDP. However, the electoral body, Independent NationalElectoral Commission (INEC) later declared Chief Sylva again, as thegovernor.

“It was near Tombia-Amassoma junction, 2 detachments of JTF soldiersheavily armed to the teeth stopped our buses while we were heading toSagbama and Ekeremor. PDP people were passing there that same dayand the JTF was not harassing them. When we got there, they ordered allof us out and searched our vehicles. Instead of them to ask us to go, theystarted beating us with the butts of their guns. If not that Ebikibina, oursecretary, stopped our boys, they would have killed everybody that day,because our boys were ready to confront them with bare hands. Thesoldiers were paid by PDP. I don't even trust the outcome of the comingelection

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SSSArrests CNN Journalist

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On Sunday, May 11, Christian Purefoy, a reporter with the American CableNetwork News (CNN) was abducted by rampaging agents of the StateSecurity Services (SSS) and detained at their headquarters in Port Harcourtfor few days before being handed over to the SSS in Abuja. CEHRD couldnot establish whether Purefoy was held there again or not.

Christian Purefoy was arrested at a waterside in Port Harcourt.At the time ofhis arrest, he was not taking pictures or filming anything. Of late, followingthe escalation in violence in the region, security operatives have reportedlyexpressed worry about critical reports by mostly the international media onthe situation in the region.

Scores of foreign journalists have been arrested and detained on trumped-upcharges of espionage and recently, the Nigeria's Defense headquartersissued a new directive ordering that any foreigner visiting the Niger Deltacreeks must get permission from the military headquarters. Granting suchpermission is discretional on the part of the military. Before now federalministry of Information and presidency normally accredit foreignjournalists and visitors to the region. When some body passes through suchaccreditation, that person will be monitored by the secret service agents likethe SSS, Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) etc until such personleaves the region.

CEHRD condemned the arrest of Christian Purefoy and urged thegovernment to put an end to this violation.

Agge, a riverrine community in Bayelsa state was destroyed by soldiersattached to the JTF. The incident coincided with the period Gordon Brown,British Prime minister had promised to send British soldiers to train soldiersof the Joint Task Force (JTF) and supply them with warships and weapons tocombat militancy in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

The Brown's promise elicited wild and wide condemnations. The Britishgovernment later rescinded the decision and promised to supply onlysurveillance equipment to the JTF troops to monitor key leaders of themilitant groups and their activities, with the aim of monitoring and hittingthem where and when necessary.

On the other hand, Brig. Gen. Idada Iponmwen, former Provost Marshall of

Soldiers SackAgge Community, Kill Local People

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the Nigerian Army had just issued a public statement denouncing thedeployment of troops to the delta, saying that it is unconstitutional becausethe National Assembly never backs it with law. His comments came on theheels of the sacking of Agge when the rural riverine community in theEkeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, was razed downcompletely by soldiers from the JTF command of Bayelsa State; that is, onAugust 4, 2008.

Agge is one of the several Ijaw communities on the Atlantic shore. It has apopulation of about 6, 000. The major occupation of the Agge people isfishing. The military told CEHRD investigators that militants had, onSaturday August 2, 2008, engaged the soldiers at Bomadi in Delta State inviolent gunfire leading to the seizure of two gunboats which were laterabandoned along the Akugbene creek in Delta State. The gunmen whoattacked military outpost at Bomadi were traced to Agge, but the Aggepeople denied the claim.

Comrade Braboke Stanley, the spokesperson of the Agge community whileaddressing a press conference it has called at the Nigerian Union ofJournalists (NUJ) press centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on Friday, August8, 2008 said the military lied about its claims for invading his community(Agge). Mr. Stanley also said that a middle aged community memberreportedly slumped to death in an attempt to escape as the JTF soldiersstormed the village and that about 500 indigenes of the Agge communitywere rendered homeless.

In an online statement, MEND spokesman Jomo Gbomo condemned theaction of the JTF soldiers, “No where in the world, except during the Naziregime and Bosnia wars, do soldiers destroy whole villages because of thesins of a few men. It is unfortunate that an already neglected community ofimpoverished fishermen would have their mud houses, fishing nets andcanoes destroyed in the army's search for “criminals”. The operation lackedtactics and professionalism, resembling that of drunken bulls on a rampage.Shots from heavy caliber machine guns were being fired as they wereapproaching the community not considering the safety of innocent children,babies, elderly men and women who ended up as victims of stray bulletswithout the invaders accomplishing its intended mission”.

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JTFArrest Innocent Persons, Tag Them Militant

Soldiers Shot Dead 3 Innocent Persons, Wound Another in ACommercial Boat

On Wednesday August 20, 2008, the Rivers State command of the JointTask Force (JTF) paraded scores of persons they alleged were militants.Worried by the indiscriminate arrests, CEHRD contacted the variousmilitant camps to confirm the alleged arrest of militants by JTF.

CEHRD tried investigating the claims by the JTF by contacting some ofthose arrested and tagged militants. Those CEHRD spoke with denied beingmilitants. One Mr. Chinedu said,

CEHRD also spoke to scores of others who narrated their ugly ordeals in thehands of the JTF soldiers. Some are arrested and detained in their cells andlater killed. The JTF never allowed investigators like CEHRD into wherethose innocent persons are kept.

Just as Chief Emeka Anyoaku, the ex-Common Wealth Secretary Generalwas calling on the President Yar Adua government not to respond to theNiger Delta crisis through the force of arms, the soldiers in the delta openedfire on a passenger boat killing 3 and wounding one.

On Sunday August 24, 2008, soldiers of the Joint Task Force (JTF) onroutine patrol at about 5.00pm guarding an oil servicing company at Lubia11, a rural riverine community in the southern Ijaw Local GovernmentAreaof Bayelsa State shot a commercial boat driver killing 3 innocent passengersand wounding one. Those killed by the rampaging JTF soldiers were PeterSese, a final year student of the Niger Delta University (NDU) and hispregnant fiancée, TitiAjayi and Mr. Iniami Sese, the boat driver.

The only survivor, Mr. Clever Ebibai who was injured in the attack narratedhis ordeal to CEHRD inYenogoa, the Bayelsa State capital;

“I am a truck pusher. I saw somebody owing me, and flagged a JTF truckand pleaded that they should help me recover my money. They stoppedand took me into their van that I am a militant. Is this the way people aretagged militants and killed?”

“We were going to Lubia community; we were very close to it when we saw

41


a boat housing JTF soldiers. Suddenly when the soldiers saw us, theystarted shooting at us even when we raised up our hands that we are notmilitants. They killed three of us; I am the only person who survived. Idon't think it is a mistake as journalists are reporting, from the look ofthings they just wanted to kill us. But, I survived to tell the story if I didn'tsurvive, they would be saying they killed militants. It was God that savedme, bullets weres flashing through my head like rain”

“The waterways are now more dangerous than before, whether fishingboats or passenger fleets, nobody is safe. It is either militants in search ofsoldiers to kill or soldiers in search of militants to kill. Though, themilitants pass by us, greet us and sometime tells us not to fear. Butimmediately the soldiers who are mostly from Hausa land (NorthernNigeria) see us, they will be shooting and curse us to show them ourchildren who they said are militants. Me I don't have any child who is amilitant. We are really in trouble”.

.

The Joint media campaign centre Coordinator of the JTF, Lt. Col.Abubakar,Rabe claimed that those killed were militants who attacked soldiers. While,Jomo Gbomo, the spokes person of the Movement for the Emancipation ofthe Niger Delta (MEND) condemned the killing and claimed that 10persons, including students and women were killed. CEHRD investigationgoes contrary to this claim; it could confirm only 3 and one injured survivorMr. Clever Ebibai. Also, contrary to JTF claim, the victims were not armednor could we trace them to any non-state armed formations in the delta.

CEHRD spoke with most residents of the creeks in Bayelsa State in thewake of the shooting of the innocent persons. A fisher woman who hailedfrom Lobia 11 community spoke to CEHRD in her native Ijaw tongue. Thisis the translated version,

The military authorities in Nigeria have been accused of sending soldiersand other security operatives from Northern Nigeria to the delta, so that theycan be ruthless in their operations against the people. CEHRD has asked themilitary authorities which they denied, but soldiers of northern Nigeriaextraction actually dominate the military formations in the delta. CEHRD isinsisting that military response will only worsen the situation.

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JTFSank Two Boats Carrying IYC Officials

JTFShot Dead a Footballer, 2 Others, Brand them Militants

On August 20, 2008, troops from the NNS pathfinder, Rumuolumeni navalcommand of the Joint Task Force (JTF) attacked 2 boats carrying over 20youths of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC). The IYC team was led by Mr. TeeKaiser-Whilbeim a.k.a. TK Ogoriba on a peace mission to the camp of TomAteke of the Niger Delta Vigilante Movement (NDVM)/Niger DeltaPatriotic Force (NDPF) along the Alakiri creek in the Okrika LocalGovernmentArea of Rivers State.

The IYC leadership led by Dr. Chris Ekiyor was angry.

Sometime last year while on similar peace mission to an Ijaw community inBayelsa State, the IYC was battered by soldiers of the JTF. Ekiyor issued a24-hour ultimatum that if JTF didn't provide explanations for their action,they would embark on retaliatory attacks across the Niger Delta region.

The Ijaw leader told CEHRD that those killed by the JTF troops were onpeace mission, and that they were neither armed nor militants. The deltaicarmed formations like MEND etc rose up in strong condemnation of theattack which they described as “unprovoked and irrational”. But Lt. OlabisiWey of the naval command whose troops carried out the attack said histroops ran into an ambush set up by some militants and had to defendthemselves. CEHRD tried to contact the JTF to get more information aboutthe incident, but to no avail.

Ogoriba survived the attack, but about 12 of his IYC colleagues whotraveled in the boats remained unaccounted for.

On Tuesday August 19, 2008, a naval gunboat operating under thecommand of the Joint Task Force (JTF) shot dead 26-year-old KingsleyEnefa-a Obene popularly called Capito and others traveling in a commercialboat going to Tombia community in the Degema Local GovernmentArea ofRivers State. The navy, after killing Capito and two others traveling in thesame boat with him announced that they have killed militants.

Narrating the incident to CEHRD, a boat driver who pleaded that his name

43


should not be mentioned and who operates at Iwofe waterfront in theRumuolumeni community in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area ofRivers State, where passengers traveling to Tombia and other riverinecommunities use as their route, said,

The boat driver spoke to CEHRD in Pidgin English, but above is thetranslated version of his interview.

CEHRD also spoke to the deceased's ageing mother, Madam Dorothy Dick.Said she:

She broke down and wept profusely while invoking curses against theNigerian government.

CEHRD also contacted the naval command of Rivers State, but they refusedto comment on the matter. But the navy had already issued a statement thatthey killed some criminal elements. Such cases abound where JTF and othersecurity operatives operating in the region, arrest, detain and even killpeople on trump up charges of being militants. The murdered footballer,Stanley Tamunobere Pepple is the younger brother of Mr. Larry Pepple, theformer Chief Security Officer (CSO) to Dr. Peter Odili, the ex-governor ofRivers State.

On Tuesday, September 2, 2008, Andrew Berends, an American freelancejournalist was abducted at the Nembe waterside in the Port Harcourt Local

“Capito (Kingsley) is a popular footballer, there is no body in Rivers Statewho doesn't know him. He is not a cultist or a militant. I can tell you.Those of us operating boat business here (Iwofe waterfront) know thosewho are bad boys and those who are not.As their boat took off that day, notlong after, I heard several gunshots and shouts. I did not know they havekilled Capito. Poor boy, he doesn't even go home (Tombia), just today thathe went, look at what has happened to him?”

“my son is a footballer; he is a very quiet person among mychildren. Some days ago I asked him not to answer Capito that I hearpeople calling him because most of those names can put one into trouble.Today, they have killed my son. What have I done to deserve this? Pleasetell them to bring my son”

SoldiersAbductAmerican Journalist

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Government Area of Rivers State by a detachment of the Joint Task Force(JTF) stationed there.

Lt. Col. Musa Sagir speaking on the arrest of the American journalist said,“it is true that troops of JTF operation flush out III on state deployment inNembe waterside intercepted foreign journalist taking video shots of ourdeployment. He was handed over to the SSS for investigation to simplyascertain his mission and why he intruded into operational area, taking videoshots of troops and their deployment without security clearance. We don'thide our operational activities but simple security clearance must beconducted for the safety of the person(s) involved”.

CEHRD got information about the arrest of Andrew Berends 20 minutesafter his arrest, and alerted local and international media outfits andcontinued to mount pressures on his captors to release him.

When the pressures on the State Security Services (SSS) headquarters inPort Harcourt, Rivers State increased, they later transferred him to the SSSunderground dungeon in Abuja where he was held for some days. Instead ofgiving accurate information about where Berends was held, the SSScontinued to give false and conflicting information about the whereabouts ofthe victim. This has been the practice by the SSS and other intelligenceagencies in Nigeria when they arrest and detain somebody.

Andrew Berends was later released.In the wake of the escalating Niger Delta crisis, the Nigerian authorities hadmade it extremely difficult for foreign journalists who appear to be tooindependent and critical, to have access to the region. They are denied entryvisa except on a tour which the government will guide.

On Sunday, May 11, 2008, the SSS also arrested Christian Purefoy, areporter with CNN. He was released later.

Just few days after the US-based Foreign policy magazine and the Fund for

MEND Declares Oil WarAs Soldiers Kill Innocent Persons, Militants inRivers

45


Peace Ranking for 2008 failed states index ranked Nigeria as the 18 mostunstable country in the world, the bloody oil war was declared by militantsin the oil rich, but poverty stricken Niger Delta region of Nigeria.Accordingto the report, Nigeria shares the same 18 position with Lebanon.

On Saturday September 13, 2008, in the morning hours, soldiers of the JointTask Force (JTF) at about 9:00am stormed the Elem Tombia and Ogbomacommunities in the Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State. Theheavily armed soldiers bombarded the two communities with 8 gun boatsand an helicopter gunship.According to a public statement made by Lt. Col.Sagir Musa, the spokesperson of JTF in Rivers state which was madeavailable to CEHRD, the JTF stated that “In view of current sea piracy in theriverine area, our team was on marine patrol along Tombia waterways whenit was attacked by militants”.

The JTF claim was however contrary to what CEHRD gathered. The ElemTombia and Ogboma communities that JTF attacked are not militant camps;the area is populated by poor migrant fishermen and women from other nonIjaw areas such as Ogoni,Akwa Ibom etc, though few militants cantonmentsare found in the area.

Mrs. Udo, a mother of 5 children and a fish seller told CEHRD at Ogboma,

This interview was translated from Pidgin English; the above is thetranslated version.

CEHRD also gathered that the soldiers also stormed a camp operated by

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“During high tides, fishermen don't go to fishing because water will coverevery where, we were all resting in our houses on Saturday (September 13,2008) about 8:30 in the morning when we started hearing gun shots and itwas like the sound of the gun was moving closer and closer to us. Aftersometime, we saw soldiers shooting into here (Ogboma), people wererunning because the soldiers came out. Some people who were runningwere hit down by bullets from the soldier's guns. They later burnt downour properties, houses and took some including big fish away. Up till now,I don't know why the soldiers came, but from what I heard, that they werelooking for militants. The soldiers know their camps and they know thatmilitants don't stay here, or are all of us militants now? I lost all I haveworked for over the years. They treat us as if we are not human being”

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Farah Dagogo, leader of the Niger Delta Strike Force (NDSF) who alsodoubles as the commander in charge of the eastern command of theMovement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).

Five of Farah's boys were killed and MEND spokesperson, Jomo Gbomodescribed those who were killed as “gallant fighters”. Scores of the Nigeria'ssoldiers were also killed, but the military authority said only one soldier wasinjured.

A source close to the military confirmed to CEHRD that more than fivesoldiers were killed and that it is not a good war strategy to admit that, sincesuch can weaken the morale of other soldiers.

On Sunday September 14, 2008, MEND, in a public statement declared theiroperation Hurricane Barbarossa also called oil war. MEND said that to makethe oil war effective, it united once more all MEND factions, armed groupsoutside MEND umbrella, pirates and cultists operating in the region. Onhow they will contain the aerial and marine offensive of the soldiers,MEND's Jomo Gbomo said that MEND had an edge over the JTF because“They are doing what they are doing for a salary and we are doing what weare doing voluntarily. Our knowledge of and adaptation to the terrain hasbeen crucial because we can launch attacks at night in pitch darkness andmore at top speed of 200km per hour in boats. These nocturnal operations,which we refer to as mosquito raids, have been very effective”.

CEHRD also gathered exclusively, that though the oil war was declared inRivers State, heavily armed MEND fighters from different MENDformations in Bayelsa, Delta etc, mobilized down to Rivers State andcoordinated bloody attacks on oil facilities. MEND in declaring the oil warsaid “the operation will continue until the government of Nigeriaappreciates that solution to peace in the Niger Delta is justice, respect forfundamental human rights and dialogue. The military style of bullyingbelongs to the past 50 years when the Niger Delta people responded onlywith their mouths, pens and placards. All international oil and gas loadingvessels entering the region are warned to anchor in the Niger Sea or divertelsewhere until further notice. Failure to comply is taking a foolhardy risk ofattack and destruction of the vessel. Again, we are asking that oil companies

47


evacuate their staff from their field facilities because the brief is not tocapture hostages but to bring these structures to the ground”, MENDordered.

At about 3:00am of that Sunday September 14, 2008, scores of heavilyarmed militants and equally well armed soldiers clashed at Soku where Shellhas a huge oil and gas project; similar clash took place at Robort-Kiri,another big oil facility operated by Chevron Nigeria Limited, an Americanoil company. Several soldiers and militants were killed. CEHRD gatheredthat the casualties were high on the part of soldiers because they were takenunawares at the facilities. Twenty-seven oil workers, including 5 expatriatesfrom Britain, South Africa and Ukraine and 20 Nigerians kidnapped by seapirates from a vessel called were trapped in the militant-military crossfire. MEND said it rescued them, later released the SouthAfricans on the ground that Henry Okah's wife pleaded on behalf of theSouthAfrican hostages.

Barely few hours after, the “new” Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), Air ChiefMarshall Paul Dike, worried by the militant attacks on oil facilities andkilling of soldiers, visited the operational bases of the Joint Task Force (JTF)in Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states. He warned the non-state armed groupsin the delta region, to steer clear of all oil facilities or be ready to face thewrath of the security outfit. Militants detonated explosives on vital oilfacilities belonging to Royal Dutch Shell Plc at the Cawthorne Channelfacility. At Adamakiri flow station, scores of fighters from the Tom Ateke'sNiger Delta Vigilante Movement (NDVM) and Niger Delta Patriotic Force(NDPF) joined MEND to attack the Adamakiri facility. CEHRD confirmedthis from both military and militant sources.

As the oil war bites harder reducing oil production quota, the United States(US) warship arrived the western naval command of theNigerian navy at Apapa, Lagos led by its commander; Todd Pelts to trainNigeria navy on safety in the marine sector.Another US warship, HSV swift,had visited Nigeria in April 2008 and the expedition was dubbed,“Transiting the Gulf of Guinea”. The Gulf of Guinea is where Nigeria'slargest gas project, the Bonga project is situated. Military sources toldCEHRD that the US Nigeria Joint activities are to protect all major oil rigs in

MT Blue Ocean

USSEL ROD

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Nigeria.

The oil war dropped oil production per-day by 150,000 barrels. Other oilfacilities at Idama, Bakana, Rumuekpe etc came under MEND viciousattacks. MEND also intensified its intense propaganda machine, realizingsuch is crucial in field operations to boast the morale of its field commandersand combatants. The JTF also followed suit.

On Tuesday September 16, 2008, Chief Edwin Clark held a secret meetingwith the militant leaders from the western delta axis (Delta State) at hisKiagbodo home in Delta State, to intervene and dissuade their colleagues inRivers State (Eastern) delta region, to stop further hostility until December31, 2008, to allow the Federal Government carry out massive developmentof the region, while calling for the release of Henry Okah, the detainedmilitant leader. The hostility later stopped. Some representatives of themilitant formations later traveled with Clark, to attend peace meetinginitiated by the Federal Government. However, CEHRD investigationsrevealed that arms continue to flow into the delta and tension still pervadesthe atmosphere.

On Tuesday, September 2, 2008, 74year-old community activist and ex-trade Unionist, Comrade Che Ibegwara and 20 others were arrested atIwhrekan community in the Ughelli South Local Government Area of DeltaState by heavily armed and extremely hostile soldiers in a Toyota car withregistration No.AG14BMA.

Others arrested are Chima Williams, an environmentalist with theEnvironmental Rights Action (ERA)/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria (FOEN),Felix Opute, a journalist, Celestine Akpobari, an Ogoni activist amongstothers. ERA had coordinated the community visit to Iwhrekan, to hold theirusual community outreach to educate the community residents on peacefuland non-violent environmental awareness when soldiers acting onintelligence information from the Shell unit there arrested the team anddetained them at the Shell camp there.

Iwhrekan community is among few villages in the delta region which had

Shell's SoldiersArrest Journalists,Activists, Community People

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obtained a court order to stop Shell from flaring toxic gas into theirenvironment. Shell, though disobeyed the order, is angered by the action andhas been doing everything to frustrate any action by the local people to makeit act responsibly, Iwhrekan community activist, Solomon told CEHRD whovisited the community later.

One of the victims, Akpobari telephoned CEHRD office about their ordealsin the hands of the Shell's soldiers and CEHRD immediately alerted localand international media, human rights and environmental groups andpressures came on Shell and the Nigeria's military. CEHRD official alsogranted interviews to local and foreign newspaper agencies, and the victimswere released.

The Iwhrekan community hosts the huge Shell's Otorogun gas plant. The gasplant emits gas continuously into the community's atmosphere andenvironment with its devastating impact on the health of the locals.

On Wednesday, October 29, 2008, Operatives of the Joint Task Force (JTF)of the Bayelsa State command swooped on King French Tume, theparamount ruler of Letugbene community in the Ekeremor LocalGovernmentArea of Bayelsa State.

The traditional ruler was inaugurating the Peace and Conflict ManagementCommittee of Iduwini cluster Development Board at the Ekeki area inYenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, when JTF soldiersarrested him. The arrest of the chief truncated the inauguration of thecommittee. Immediately CEHRD heard about the incident, it called the thenoutgoing commander of the JTF, Lt. Col. Chris Musa, who confirmed thearrest of the Letugbene monarch, saying that if the ruler has nothing to dowith militants in his domain he would be released.Tume was released later. But Musa further revealed that their investigationsunearthed that the traditional ruler had some links with militants operating inhis locality. When CEHRD contacted Tume, he denied any link with thearmed groups. CEHRD's further investigation revealed that in Letugbene,there are some armed groups but can't establish the link between themonarch and the militants. To be safe, in some area, since the armed groups

JTFArrest Traditional Ruler over Romance with Militants

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can't be chased away completely because of the weak security situation,such traditional ruler won't oppose them, or do any thing to anger them;perhaps such is the case of the Letugbene monarch.

Following the assassination of Mr. Deebari Mabani, the 26-year-old groceryshop owner in September 2008, in Kpite community, Tai Local GovernmentArea of Rivers State by unknown gun men, acting on a tip, the Joint TaskForce (JTF) unit in Tai Local Government Area, stormed the Deekencommunity in Gokana Local Government Area in the early hours ofThursday October 30, 2008 and fired gunshots sporadically.

CEHRD reliably gathered that a frightened 15-year-old Barieleera Kuelewho saw the dreaded looking JTF soldiers shooting sporadically andbarking ran across the main road for safety like other Deeken natives. Hewas shot dead and the JTF took his lifeless body away.

The deceased's mother, Mrs Felicia Kuele, a widow lamented to CEHRD,

She broke down and wept uncontrollably while talking toCEHRD in the community. Above, is a translated version of the interviewfrom her Gokana, Ogoni dialect?

In the early hours of Tuesday, December 2, 2008, four youths from Nyo-beBeeri Community in the Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State ledby Felix Deezia visited the office of the Centre for Environment, HumanRights and Development (CEHRD) in Ogale-Nchia community in theEleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, to report the killing of 2youths of the community and sacking of the village.CEHRD delegated its investigators to investigate and later contacted bothlocal and international media about the incident. On Tuesday, December 2,2008, about 3:00am, scores of soldiers from the Joint Task Force (JTF) had

Murder of Deebari Mabani; JTFKill 15-year-old Barieleera Kuele

JTF Kill one, Sack Ogoni Village

“I heard that the soldiers came here because of the killing of September22, 2008 in Kpite. I can remember that day. My son and I were in thishouse. I am not defending my son, but I am saying that my son do notbelong to any cult group not to talk of going to kill somebody. As a mother,if my child is like that I will tell you. They should bring my child. I wanthim alive….”

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invaded the poor rural Ogoni community and fired guns sporadically at alldirections killing one Ogoni youth and wounding scores of others as thevillages scampered for safety in the bushes and neighbouring villagesaround.

The JTF soldiers after killing the youth reportedly carted away his corpse.Felix Deezia spoke to CEHRD investigator “We were all sleeping in ourcommunity, I don't think we have problem with any body or any community.About 3:00am early this morning we started hearing gun shots. Since we didnot have problem with any body, we thought it was fire works by childrensince we are in December already. The gun shots came closer and closer andthe soldiers that we identified from the area. You see while we are convincedthat they are soldiers are that after the killing of those youths they came againin day light and made some arrests again, and took them to their base in Bori,the headquarters of the Khana Local GovernmentArea of Rivers State”.

Local journalists and CEHRD monitors working on the issue contacted theJTF spokesperson, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, who denied involvement of histroops in the community. “In line with the transformation process going onin the Nigerian Armed forces, no operation would be conducted without theknowledge and explicit approval of the appropriate superior authority. Ihave checked and re-checked at the JTF headquarters and all sectors,particularly sector 2 where the incident allegedly took place, nothing likethat ever happened”. Sagir said.

Contrary to Sagir's claims, CEHRD reliably gathered thatAbba Dimkpa andthe victim, Thompson Numieh who was shot in his stomach leading to hisinstant death and 2 of his brothers sleeping in the same room arrested by theJTF soldiers had had some misunderstanding in their place of work.And thatMr. Abba Dimkpa had hired a handful of JTF soldiers and police officers todeal with the deceased, who was branded armed robber before being killed.Others arrested were also branded robbers.

CEHRD is extremely worried that if the security was coming to the villageto arrest somebody, it should not have been shooting and stampeding therural community, because the entire community do not have problem withthem. Secondly, the security force should always conduct proper

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investigations before taking any action. CEHRD condemns this.

On Sunday, December 28, 2008, Sobomabo Jackrich popularly calledEgberipapa, leader of the People's Liberation Movement (PLM), one of theaffiliates of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND)was arrested by the Troop of the sector 5 of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Opflush out 3 stationed in Buguma town in the Asari Torlu Local GovernmentArea, Rivers State.

According to Alhaji Dokubo-Asari, leader of the Niger Delta People'sVolunteer Force (NDPVF), Egberipapa was arrested by the troop at thepremises of the palace of His majesty, the Amanyanabo of KalabariKingdom, Prof. Theophilus Jacob Princewill, where he went in the companyof Asari. However, scores of persons CEHRD spoke to said they were notaware that Egberipapa was in the monarch's palace and that the king was notaware that Egberpapa was around. They said Asari was in the palace todiscuss his chieftaincy title rites. He left the militant leader downstairs andthe king was not even aware that Egberipapa was around. DokuboAsari saidthat it is not true that the king, Princewill was not aware that Egberipapa wasaround. He accused the state government as the brain behind the arrest.Chief Albert Horsfall, the ex-spy chief and chairman of the Rivers StatePeace Committee told the press that he was not aware of any peace meetingat the Amanyanabo's palace in Buguma. So, who set up the dreaded militantleader?

Jomo Gbomo, MEND spokesperson said Egberipapa was set up by Riverspeople, while some of Egberipapa's fighters CEHRD spoke with accusedDokubo-Asari and the government as setting him up. His boys promised todo violence if he is not released.

Egberipapa has been implicated in several kidnappings and violence in thestate. He is of the Jackrich compound in Buguma.

Egberipapa, Senior MEND CommanderArrested by JTF

Chevron Soldiers Shoot Peaceful Itsekiri ProtestersOn Saturday, November 20, 2008, heavily armed soldiers of the Joint TaskForce (JTF) attached to the operational headquarters of Chevron Nigeria

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Limited in the Ughorodo community at Ecravos in the Warri South WestLocal Government Area of Delta State shot deadly live bullets at hordes ofunamed women and men. The peaceful protesters had arrived at the ChevronTank Farm with placards and leaves, to protest what the villagers calledmarginalization of Itsekiri people in employment of workers into theEscravos Gas To Liquid (EFTL) project.

Mr. Ayiri Emami, the Public Relations Officers (PRO) of the UghorodoCommunity Trust (UCT) told CEHRD that immediately the protestersarrived the facility in speed boats, and the security officials knew that noneof the protesters were armed with any weapon, and because the Ughorodocommunity had informed the company about the peaceful protest, theystarted firing live bullets at the protesting Itsekiri folks.

Various protesters received various degrees of injuries. The vice-chairmanof The Delta Waterways Security Committee (DWSC) and also anUgborodo youth leader, Mr. Isaac Botosan said, “Peaceful protests is acivilized and acceptable way of making demands any where in the world.The oil companies and the Nigeria government should discourage the use ofviolence and always encourage dialogue.

CEHRD visited Miss Toju Akitikoru, John Toghanrose, Anthony Mene,James Arubi ans Samuel Majebi on their sick beds in a hospital in Warri.They were in critical conditions. They are victims of the shooting byChevron soldiers. Following widespread condemnation of the shooting bythe JTF soldiers, Barigadier General Nanven Rimtip, Commander of theJTF in Delta State who said has visited Escravos in the wake of the shooting,lied to journalist that armed youths invaded the facility and his men merelydefended themselves and position there.

CEHRD condemns this and urges the Nigerian government, oil companiesand security agencies to always encourage dialogue rather than violence.One of the factors responsible for the violent emergencies in the Niger Deltaregion today is the violent antics of the government towards demand by itscitizens.

JTFShot Dead IjawYouth Leader in Bonny

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On November 23, 2008 Mr. Alex Pepple the chairman of the Ijaw youthCouncil (IYC) in charge of the Ibani clan (Bonny kingdom) had reportedlygone to the base of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Bonny Island, to reportillegal bunkering activities in the area.And that the officials of the JTF thereasked him to go verify the authenticity of his claim and bring feed back tothem. CEHRD was told that as Pepple had turned his back, and started goingwhen one of the soldiers fired his gun at him.Alex Pepple died instantly.

Col. Sagir. Musa, the JTF spokeman described the story of the killing as an“outright cooked-up story” commenting further, Sagir said, “From the JTFheadquarters and Bonny and other sectors in the areas of our responsibilityand I found out that nothing like that happed. The JTF did not and will notengage in extra-judicial killings, despite any confrontation. It is against ourtraining, culture and standing instructions”.

Another official of the IYC, Nselefa-a Paul-Whyte described the killing ofAlex Pepple as “extra-judicial. We can not lie against the JTF. Is this the firsttime they are killing innocent persons in the delta? We callfor full scaleinvestigation into member if you think we are lying. Killing of innocentpersons must stop”

Sagir's claim contradicts a lot of cases of extra-judicial killings soldiers ofthe JTF had carried out in the delta. The family of the deceased told CEHRDthat Alex Pepple was shot dead by the JTF which really contradict the JTF'sspokesman claim.

The extra-judicial killing of Mr. Alex Pepple was coming at a time the IjawYouth Council (IYC) was putting finishing touches to plans toward a grandcelebration of the 10 anniversary of the Kaiama deelaration. The killing ofPepple was also happening at a time, a new militantformation had emerged mid November, 2008, around the Bonny Island, andwas threatening the king (Amanyanabo) of Grand Bonny, King EdwardDappa Pepple. The Bonny monarch has said won't appear before the JusticeKayode Eso-led Rivers State Trugh and Reconciliation Commission (TRC),arguing that he (Amanyanabo) is next to God. The Okoloma Ikpanji which isled by Wadonye Amibinye want the king because the king Pepple had usedthe Assistant Inspector- General of police (AIG) Zone 6, Calabar to arrest,

Okoloma Ikangi,

th

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detain and tortured Mr. Kingsley Adonis Pepple, the chairman of theNationalYouth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) who had written a petition to theEso's TRC accusing the king, Pepple and his council of Chiefs of fraud andcorruption in the royalties paid by the oil companies doing business in theisland. Instead of the king Pepple to respond to the “allegations” he resortedto sheer use of the police and other security agencies to intimidate thepeaceful youth activists who are demanding for accountability from him.Justice Eso subpoenaed the king Pepple, he said won't attend the panel,during the commission resumed sitting in Port Harcourt, Kayode Eso said,“A display of tyranny and despotism by the king of Bonny, who has beenaccused of such and so much, should come to the commission to deny theaccusation”.

Eso warned, “The arm of law is long but my own is longer by six feet ofblade so when you go, tell his majesty (king of Bonny) that the arm of the lawis very long. It has dealt with crowns in this country. I have had occasions tosentence a crowned king to prison myself, go and tell him so”. King Peppledid not appear, the matter was later settled out of the panel.

In early December, 2008, about 10:30pm (in the night), a gunmen in militaryuniform appeared in the house of Chief Emmanuel TamunowunafuroInemikabo Kalaru, the high Chief of the Ibaka community in the OkrikaLocal GovernmentArea of Rivers State and shot him dead, and wounded his3-year-old girl of the deceased.

Community people told CEHRD that the gunmen clearly a hired assassin,got to the house of the late Chief Kalaru, the head of the Kalaru war canoehouse, he saw Kalaru relaxing with his family member in front of his houseat Ibaka at about 10:30pm, and shot him dead at point blank at his chest.Chief Kalaru bled and died instantly. They said by the time the soldiersstationed there arrived the scene, the assassin had fled unhurt.

The 49-year-old Chief Kalaru was installed as head of the war canoe Houseon April 26, 2003, though the immediate cause of the action is not known,but those who spoke to our investigator said there has been a lingeringkingship tussle in the Ibaka community.

Ibaka Chief Shot Dead ByAssasin in Military Uniform

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CEHRD learnt that for the past 20 years, two families Kalaru 1 and Kalaru IIhave been fighting over the Ibaka stool. The murdered Chief EmmanuelTamuno Wunafuro Inemikako Kalaru was supporting the Kalaru I. Thedeceased had reportedly escaped death 3 times, this time around was notlucky again. With guns and gangs every where, no one is safe.

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“Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignityof his person, and accordingly,

no person shall be subjected to torture orinhuman or degrading treatment ”

- Section 34 (Right to Dignity of Human persons), chapter iv of the1999 Nigerian constitution

Soldier Killed, German Worker Seized

Ateke's Fighters, Naval Officials Killed in Fierce Battle inAlakiri

On Wednesday, March 5, 2008 around 11:00am, unidentified gunmen shotdead a soldier attached to a site being run by Julius Berger, the Germanconstruction company and kidnapped a German expatriate worker who wasinspecting the construction work in Rivers State.

The German national was released that same day unhurt. The then Riversstate police spokeswoman, Ireju Barasua said that the victim was handedover unhurt to government officials overnight.

No group claimed responsibility for the action.Julius Berger is one of the construction firms handling the dualisation of theEast/West Highway awarded by the Federal Government.

The site where the soldier was shot dead and German kidnapped is alongRumuji in the Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State. Movementfor the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the main militant groupwas largely responsible for the upsurge of violence that climaxed in theNiger Delta in 2006. Later, other criminal gangs and cartels joined in thelucrative business of kidnapping of people and demanding of ransom.

On Saturday August 16, 2008, the naval unit of the Joint Task Force (JTF)clashed with militants from the Tom Ateke led Niger Delta VigilanteMovement (NDVM)/Niger Delta Patriotic Force (NDPF) which led to thedeath of some NDVM/NDPF fighters and naval officials.

(3) Violence, Insecurity and Non-StateArmed Groups and Proliferation of SALWs

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Violence, Insecurity and Non-State Armed Groups and Proliferation of SALWs

Some NDVM/NDPF combatants told CEHRD that they were holding ameeting at one of their camps along the Alakiri River in the Okrika LocalGovernment Area of Rivers State when 8 naval gun boats fired their gunssporadically at them. And that in response, Ateke gave order for a counter-attack. Its fighters were mobilized in two speed boats, a fierce battle ensuedbetween the militants and the navy.

CEHRD was told that 3 naval officials and 4 militants were killed in theattack. When JTF spokesperson, Lt. Col. Musa Sagir was contacted over theincident, he said that he was not aware of the incident, adding that it musthave been the Nigerian navy. The Navy spokesperson, Olabisi Weydisclosed that the militants were killed when they ambushed naval patrolteams returning to their base.

The navy claimed that they killed some militants and recovered 2 Generalmulti Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), AK47 riffles and 388 rounds ofammunition from them.

It is important to note that in the wake of the incident, Chief of Naval Staff,Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye while briefing his men at the Eastern Navalcommand headquarters in Calabar, Cross Rivers State, said: “The navyactually suffered some loss of officers and men in our operations” addingthat the officers should not allow the death of their colleagues to lower theirmorale or deter them from performing their duties. He further advised themto be more courageous and security conscious at all times.

Often times after any bloody incident between militants and securityoperatives operating in the region, both engage in propaganda. This act isquite misleading, and does not give a true picture of things. Wey Olabisi, thePublic Relations officer of the NNS Pathfinder claimed to have killed 12militants; however, from the information CEHRD obtained exclusively, themilitants who were confronted by the navy were just 8 in 2 speed boatsincluding their drivers who are also combatants. On the part of the militants,they refused to give the number of the casualties, but only issued a publicstatement through its spokesperson, Tamunokuro Ebitari saluting thegallantry of its fighters, “This indeed, is a demonstration of might. Wecongratulate them and urge them to try harder”.

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GoergeAdumu, JTFSoldiers Clash inAndoniOn Sunday, October 26, 2008, Soldiers of the Joint Task Force (JTF) andheavily armed fighters of George Adumu clashed along the Ngo river in theAndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, which led to seriousinjuries on both side.

CEHRD can't confirm independently whether anybody died on both sides.For sometime now, George Adumu, about 6 feet tall in his early 30s, hadbeen on the surveillance list of the intelligence unit of the JTF over thekilling of Frank Kpande who hailed from the same community with George.The late Kpande, a staff of the Rivers State government-owned RisonPalmLimited, had arrived the above community to inspect his house project in thevillage when George Adumu and his fighters killed him and took away hiscorpse.

CEHRD gathered that the late Frank Kpande has been very vocal incriticizing George's activities and had reported him severally to securityoutfits like JTF and George has placed him on his group's list of thosemarked for elimination.

CEHRD gathered that a JTF patrol team ambushed a convoy of speedboatsescorting the gang leader and as usual George Adumu ordered scores of hisbody guards and fighters to return fire against the JTF troops. 4 of his bodyguards were seriously injured, and George himself. Doctors were broughtfrom Port Harcourt to Asarama, the nearby community where emergencytreatment was given toAdumu and his wounded fighters.Adumu, the target,was shot in the neck, stomach and buttocks. 3 military officials wereseriously injured too. We learnt that one of the injured soldiers later died, butwe could not confirm it. Military authorities contacted didn't want tocomment on the issue.

CEHRD investigators met the Adumu after the attack, who is a seniorofficial of the Tom Ateke's Niger Delta Vigilantee Movement(NDVM)/Icelander (German) confraternity in the Andoni axis. While, oneMr. Batholomew who hails from Unyeada in the same Andoni Area is thehead of the NDVM/Icelander in the Andoni Area. Adumu is said to havebeen involved in several cases of kidnapping, violence and killings in the

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Andoni areas and its environs. On Tuesday, September 2, 2008, one of hiscomrades-in-arms, Samuel Okwa from Unyeada was arrested by securityoperatives and is still in detention at the time of this report.

George Adumu who is now an active member of the ruling People'sDemocratic Party (PDP), CEHRD gathered, was a quiet and peacefulperson, but the advent of criminal politics affected him as hemetamorphosed from a mere PDP thug into full blown gang leader, gunsmuggler, kidnapper and cultist. Majority of his body guards and fighters areyoung people. He initiates children even below 18 years into his gang.

He operates two camps in the Andoni axis. One, in the deep Okukpor forestwhere he built 25 houses and another at Ogbente, a village settlementbetweent Ibotirem and Dema, all in the Andoni Local Government Area ofRivers State. George Adumu like other gang leaders in the region is thecreation of the desperate politicians.

ManAbducts 6-year-old Boy from ChurchOn Sunday, April 27, 2008, 6-year-old Master Madamzi Chinda, son ofDickson Chinda, an ex-supervisory councilor of Works and Transport in thePort Harcourt city Local Government Area of Rivers State, was lured fromthe Redeemed Christian Church of God, Amazing Grace Assembly, locatedoffAbacha Road, GRA, Port Harcourt at about 10:00 am by a man identifiedas Mr Sunday Ogbu who was holding a bible in one hand, pretending to beone of the church officials.

The victim was taken from the children's section of the church and shortlyafter the boy was abducted, the kidnapper called the father on telephone anddemanded a ransom of undisclosed amount, threatening to kill Ndamze if hefails to bring the ransom money. CEHRD gathered that the boy was lured outof the church premises by the kidnapper who promised to buy biscuit forhim.

The kidnapper later took the boy to a storey building somewhere in Igwurutanear the Port Harcourt International airport and was later transferred to achurch for “safe keeping” since he could not even feed the boy. He asked achurch to help him with some money to feed his hostage, claiming that he

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saw him, Ndamzi, along a road in the area, and contradicted himself byclaiming that the child is his. The church gave him N700, to feed the boy.Suspicious of the genuineness of his claims, the church later contacted thepolice and he was arrested. As at the time of compiling this report, thesuspected kidnapper, Mr. Sunday Ogbu, was still being held by the police.

In the early hours of Sunday, April 20, 2008, Chief (Mrs.) Margaret Idisi,wife of Chief Humphrey Idisi, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer ofLonester Drilling Nigeria Limited, a well-known indigenous oil servicescompany, was abducted by a group of kidnappers numbering about 10. Thekidnapers who clearly wanted ransom invaded the family house of the oilmagnate at Rumuokwurushi in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital and tookher away.

One of the aides of Idisi narrated the incident to CEHRD that on that day, 10of the kidnappers, all youths, climbed the high walls that surround Idisi'ssprawling compound with the aid of a ladder through the back fence.As theygained entrance into the compound, they headed for the back iron door andbroke it open with heavy metallic objects they came with. They shot theirguns sporadically and detonated dynamites at intervals to scare awaypeople. They later gained entrance into the bedroom where Margaret Idisiwas hiding and collected her because none of the children of the oil chief wasaround. They also made away with some undisclosed amount of money.

Few hours after the incident, the kidnappers opened communication withthe family without revealing their identities and their location. No groupclaimed responsibility contrary to media reports that fighters of the TomAteke led Niger Delta Vigilantee Movement (NDVM) was responsible forthe kidnap.

Speaking to CEHRD, Ateke Tom denied out rightly and exonerated hisgroups. No person was killed during the kidnappers operation in Idisi'scompound. Spokesperson of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Lt. Col Musa Sagirconfirmed the incident and said that the kidnappers did it for money and thathis men were dispatched there because of a distress call they go from theaffected family.

Margaret Idisi, Wife of Oil Magnate Kidnapped.

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The invasion of Rumuokwurushi home of Chief Humphrey Idisi duringwhich his first wife was taken away was similar to an invasion of the“heavily protected” home of chief Lulu Briggs, chairman of MonipoloLimited, an indigenous oil/gas exploration company and kidnapped his wifeby heavily armed kidnappers. The kidnappers later placed a N500 millionransom on her.

The kidnappers of Mrs. Idisi were initially demanding N1 billion naira, butlater reduced it to 500 million naira. Mrs. Margaret Idisi, as at the time of herabduction, was a grand another and was said to be hypertensive.

In the early hours of Saturday, April 3, 2008, Mrs. Margaret Idisi, regainedher freedom after a big undisclosed amount was paid to the kidnappers asransom. CEHRD confirmed it independently. She was released some wherein Bayelsa state rather than Port Harcourt in Rivers State where she waskidnapped from.

CEHRD gathered that the kidnapping of the woman was one of the mostorganized kidnapping that has taken place in recent times in the history ofkidnapping. And that about 10 gunmen carried out the kidnapping in PortHarcourt who later joined with 30 other of their colleagues in Bayelsa state.Source told CEHRD that over N5million was spent on logistics during thepreparation for the operation by the kidnappers.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), themainstream loose coalition of armed groups operating in the swamp of theoil and gas rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria, has launched more deadlyattacks on the Nigeria's oil industry under its new military campaign code-named Operation Cyclone. Under this program, MEND restated its resolveto cripple the Nigeria oil export industry, Jomo Gbomo, its spokesmanrevealed in a widely circulated e-mail.

MEND which said it had earlier declared ceasefire disclosed that therenewed hostilities were in response to the arrest and detention of one of itsleaders, Henry Okah in September 2007 in Angola and its extradition toNigeria to face a secret trial in Jos, plateau state, in the northern part of

MEND Launches More DeadlyAttacks on Oil Facilities.

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Nigeria. MEND has been pressing for his release by resuming itscharacteristic hostility against the oil industry.

In the month of April, 2008, MEND claimed responsibility for 4 majorattacks on oil facilities. First, was at Olero Flow station owned by ChevronNigeria Limited (CNL) in Delta state where, after the attack, scores ofsoldiers and militants died in a serious gun duel said to be one of thedeadliest. Militants seized several weapons belonging to the Joint TaskForce (JTF). MEND provided logistical support for the ,a militant formation which operates mainly around the Warri-North WestLocal Government Area of Delta State. Ezekiel Awala who led the DeadlyUnderdogs fighters under the high command of MEND died on Monday,April 28, 2008 from fatal gun injuries he got during the deadly fight in aMEND camp in Bayelsa state.

After the death of Awala, some commanders of the Deadly Underdogs toldCEHRD in an interview thatAwala was not part of their team and its fighterswere not indigenes of the area.

JTF later attacked the Opuama community in search of arms and the Awalawho is confirmed dead now. Commander Okoro Owei, is the new leader ofthe group.

In the early hours of Friday, April 25, 2008, another attack took place on atrunk pipelines operated by the Anglo-Dutch Shell PLC in Nembe in theNembe Local GovernmentArea of Bayelsa State.

On Saturday, April 26, 2008. MEND also coordinated another major attackon the Ekulema oil facility belonging to Shell too. The facility is located inAkuku-Torlu Local GovernmentArea of Rivers State.

On Thursday, April 24, 2008 at about 22.18 hours, MEND said its heavilyarmed fighters provided cover for its detonation engineers who successfullysabotaged the Adamakiri and Soku pipeline in the Akuku-Torlu LocalGovernmentArea of Rivers State.

On Monday April 21, 2008 MEND also coordinated attacks on the Isaka

Deadly Underdogs

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Shell pipelines located in the Okrika Local Government Area of RiversState.

Born in January 11, 2006, MEND's deadly attacks on the nation's oilfacilities have led to a serious cut down on oil production quota as well ashike in oil prices in the international market. MEND said the attacks willcontinue until their leader, Henry Okah is released from detention. Attacksare being carried out by a faction of MEND loyal to Henry Okah.

The bloody crisis which enveloped the Ekpan village community in theUvwie Local Government Area of Delta State got to its peak on Saturday,April 5, 2008, with the death of 3 youths of the affected community. WhenCEHRD visited the area, the following names were given as the casualties;Henry Ojonea, Benneth Sakutu and Richard.

Succession to youth positions through election has always been a majortrouble in many communities in the Niger Delta, especially oil producingcomminutes because of pecuniary benefits accruable from it. Ekpancommunity was factionalized along youth body contending for leadershipbody of the central youth body of Ekpan.

The three youths died during a tough gun duel between 2 youths factionalgroups struggling for positions in the community youth executive body. Asgun violence intensified in the community, a Chief of the community andone of the factional youth leaders were arrested by soldiers of the Joint TaskForce (JTF) and later handed over to the police. The security operatives latersaid it discovered an armory in his residence containing assorted arms andammunition. CEHRD was not been able to confirm this independently.

The youth leader was first detained and later interrogated at No. 93 BattalionEffurun, the headquarters of the JTF and later transferred to the Delta statepolice command inAsaba, the capital of Delta State.

At about 10 am on Wednesday, April 16, 2008, heavily armed gunmennumbering about 12 traveling in 2 speed boats landed at the jetty at the

Youth Election Claims 3 Lives in Ekpan

Gunmen Kidnap Ekeneoreawaji, 2 Missing inAsarama.

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Asarama community in the Andoni Local government Area of Rivers State.On berthing, they fired gun shots sporadically from their AK47s and G3s.The wild gun fire stirred tension in the community and poor locals ran forsafety as the guns barked.

Amidst the sporadic gun shots, the gunmen went straight to where Mr.Andrew Ekeneorewaji, a 36-year-old man who is a native of the communityhad ran to hide and took him away.

Earlier before the abduction of Ekeneoreawaji, precisely on Saturday, April12, 2008, at about 11pm, Obulu Owens and Rainbow, both natives ofAsarama community too, were whisked away by gunmen. Villagers whospoke to CEHRD in the community said majority of the gunmen identifiedhail from the community.

Asarama has been rocked by violence and the community is accessible byroad and water and is now a sort of operational base for cultists and militants.

On Sunday,April 20, 2008, at about 12:00 midnight, Mrs. Rose Deemor, themother of Engineer Gideon Deemor, the out-gone Caretaker CommitteeChairman of the Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State was kidnappedby seven gunmen who sneaked into her unfenced house in the Bue-Nghaaarea of Kira community.

CEHRD gathered that as the kidnappers were going away with the woman,one of the children of Mrs. Rose Deemor met them on their way out of thecompound and pleaded with them to spare his mother, but the kidnappersrefused and took her away. Later in the afternoon of the same Sunday, Mrs.Rose's captors sent a coded text message (sms) to her son, Gideon Deemor,asking for millions of naira as ransom in return for the release of the womanwhose health was said to be deteriorating.

On September 28, 2007, Master Inieruna Nam, Son of Mr Asara A. Asara,the special Duties Commissioner for Bayelsa State who is from the BayelsaEast senatorial District and a student of the Igbinedion Educational Centre,

Mother of Tai Caretaker Chairman Seized in Kira

Commissioner's Son Spends 7 Months in Captivity

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Benin, Edo state capital, was kidnapped by gunmen while on his way to hisschool.

Few hours after the kidnap incident, Mrs. Damini Asara, wife of Mr Asarareceived a phone call from anonymous persons stating that her son was withthem and demanded N27 million ransom before he would be released.

The father of the kidnapped boy, when contacted, said he did not have suchamount of money and could not pay the said amount. After spending sevenmonths in the captivity of the commercial kidnappers, the boy was releasedunhurt. CEHRD can't confirm whether any form of ransom was paid or notbefore his release.

On April 4, 2008, Mr. Ameka Odukwu, an indigene of Ochigba communityin the Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State wasassassinated by 3 heavily armed gunmen. The deceased was a privatebusinessman.

He was assassinated along Hospital Road in Ahoada town in the AhoadaEast Local Government Area while leaving his office at about 8:00pm. Thethen Police spokeswoman, Mrs Ireju Barasua, a Deputy Superintendent ofpolice confirmed the killing to CEHRD and said police has set up a seriousinvestigation into the matter.

In spite of any provocation, no body should kill anybody; such act violateslocal and international human rights laws and standards, CEHRD condemnthis out rightly.

Kidnapping and demanding ransom has gradually become part of the dailylife in the oil and gas-rich Niger Delta region and other parts of Nigeria by allsorts of armed criminal bandits. In Asaba, the capital of Delta state, onFriday, April 25, 2008, heavily armed kidnappers who arrived in a brandnew Honda car maneuvered themselves into Joy Chichi crescent, offMinistry of Agriculture Road, a highly secured area protected by highsecurity walls. The Kidnappers subdued a female domestic worker with the

OdukwuAssasinated inAhoada

8-year-old child of a Widow Kidnapped inAsaba

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family of the 8-year-old boy and snatched the boy from where he wasplaying with his peers.

The 8-year-old boy is the son of Mrs. Nnamdo who lost her husband fewyears ago. The kidnappers had reportedly demanded N3 million from thewidow.

Delta state police command in Asaba told CEHRD that the police were onthe trail of the kidnapers. As at the time of compiling the report, they werestill at large.

On Thursday,April 10, 2008, two toddlers, Francis and Deborah, children ofMr. Uduak Sunday Effiong, an executive member of the IndependentMarketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), were kidnapped from theirresidence in Aleto community in Eleme Local Government Area of Riversstate by gun men.

The victims were abducted from the oil marketer's house at about 10:30pmon Wednesday, April 9, 2008, in an operation that lasted till the followingmorning, Thursday, April 10, 2008, without any resistance. They ransackedthe house, taking any property that cut their eyes. The gunmen demanded awhooping sum of 10 million naira before releasing the toddlers. The localpolice confirmed the incident to CEHRD.

CEHRD investigations reveal that those taking to kidnapping for ransom areactually ex-thugs of politicians who before were being taken care of bypoliticians who enlist their services, but when such politicians are no longerin power to continue giving them money for sustenance, the thugs arehungry and go desperate. They resort to hostage-taking and kidnappings asmeans of sustaining themselves.

In the early hours of Sunday, April 6, 2008, four heavily armed gunmendriving in a Mercedes Benz car intercepted a vehicle conveying Mrs.Patricia Asita, wife of a House of Representative member representingOgba/Egbema/Ndoni/Ahoada West constituency, and kidnapped the

Two Toddlers Seized inAleto

Mistaken Identity; Lawmaker's Wife Snatched by Gunmen,

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woman along Okilton drive located along Ada George Road in PortHarcourt on her way to church.

PatriciaAsita was driving with her husband and other members of her familywhen their vehicle was intercepted and she was ordered by the gunmen tomove over to their (gunmen) vehicle. The husband watched helplessly.There was no resistance and no gun shot too. Few hours after the gunmenvanished with the lawmaker's wife, they phoned the lawmaker apologizingthat her wife was not actually their target, and that the husband should justgive them some token of money. They did not however disclose who theirtarget was. They did not also state what the amount, but just wanted thehusband of the victim to part with some money.

The authorities of the NigerianArmy have decried the proliferation of SmallArms and Light Weapons (SALW), saying it threatens peace and security inthe country, particularly in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Lt. GeneralLuka Yusuf, speaking on Monday, May 20, 2008 in Kaduna, the capital ofKaduna State at the opening of a four-day seminar/workshop, as part of theactivities marking the 2008 Nigerian Army day celebration, said the uglytrend, if not checked, might eventually lead to anarchy.

A day after the army chief's expression, gunmen engaged men of the JointTask Force (JTF) also called Operation Flush out III, in Bonny Island, homeof the multi-billion dollar Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLG) and majoroil and gas terminal in serious gun battle, killing a soldier attached to theJTF. A Naval gunboat was destroyed, while several military officialssustained serious injuries. Spokesperson of the JTF, Lt. Col. Musa Sagirwho confirmed the bloody incident described the attackers as “bandits whohave been terrorizing Bonny”. The gunmen stormed the island inspeedboats. According to police sources, the intention of the gunmen was torob a commercial bank close to one of the jetties in the island, but weredisappointed that the bank had relocated.

About 10:00am on Thursday, May 29, 2008, gunmen also engaged the navyunit of the JTF in intense gun duel, in a bid to attack asecurity vessel working for Total. The vessel was sailing to Total's Amenam

Bloody Violence Engulfs Bonny Island.

TANGO MARY,

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field, about 3 nautical miles west of Bonny. The attack failed as the gun menwere unable to board the vessel.

The failed attack was coming at a time that MEND issued a fresh threat tolaunch more attacks on oil facilities and military positions throughout thedelta starting from May 30, 2008 but MEND denied that it was involved inthe Tango Mary attack. In response, the JTF had dismissed such threat.CEHRD gathered that two Naval officers were killed during the Bonnyattack, but could not confirm this independently.

At about 10:30pm, on Wednesday night, May 28, 2008, Chief Idala Polyn,while having dinner with members of his family, at his Kalibiamacommunity in the Bonny Island met his death in the hands of gunmen.Someone had invited him outside the house for a discussion.As he came outhe saw four gunmen who opened fire on him. They reportedly shot his headseveral times until he was dead before disappearing with their waitingspeedboat through the creek channels. The deceased was a stalwart of thePeoples' Democratic Party (PDP) and was involved in some contention overthe ownership of some portion of the oil rich Cawthorne channel, althoughthe matter was resolved long before his death.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Bonny, Mr. Aliu Garba (CSP)confirmed the killing, but declined further comments to CEHRD.

On Thursday, June 26, 2008, no fewer than 3 passengers on the PortHarcourt Bonny creek route were killed by gunmen who attacked apassengers' boat. Those killed include the driver and two passengers. Theattackers thereafter hijacked the boat and sailed it away to unknowndestination in the Bonny Island. The new Rivers State Police spoke person,Mrs. Rita Inoma-Abbey confirmed the attack and said many were woundedbut those who survived had been rescued, while the dead were deposited atthe mortuary.

On Sunday, May 29, 2008 suspected militants attacked a house boat ownedby Shell in Oloma area of Bonny Island, killing 2 soldiers of the JTF. Theylater moved to Bonny Island and engaged men of the JTF in a gun duel thatlasted several hours. During the shoot-out, stray bullets struck a pregnant

70


woman and several others. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.JTF spokesman, Musa Sagir confirmed the attack, saying that there was anattack on JTF position by suspected militants in Bonny Island which led toan exchange of gun fire between the suspected militants and JTF troopsdeployed there. Sagir said that one soldier was wounded, a civilian beheadedand two militants killed during the encounter.

Musa Sagir's claim is contrary to what CEHRD gathered reliably. CEHRDgathered that two soldiers were killed, a pregnant woman hit dead by straybullet and 3 others wounded. And that no militant was killed. In a dramatictwist, spokesman for the Anglo Dutch Shell, Mr. Precious Okolubo saidOlomo flow station was not attacked and that it was still operating.

In the wake of the incident, there has been a mass exodus of residents in theIsland, especially non Bonny natives who had arrived the Island to dovarious contract jobs following the massive industrialization of the area.Speaking to a CEHRD monitor, 52year-old Margaret Bassey, a restaurantoperator in the island lamented; “at those early days when they just startedbuilding the LNG, I arrived here (Bonny Island), to run my restaurantbusiness. It was doing well. I had plenty customers and I was making profits.But, when violence started, I lost a lot of customers. I am leaving this placeby the end of June 2008. I am returning to continue my business in my homestate,Akwa Ibom. I don't want to die now because I have children and othersto take care of”. The violence is becoming too much. Every day you hear gunshots as if we are at war”

In the early part of May 2008, 3 gunmen suspected to be cultists stormed adrinking spot at No. 13, Stallion Road in the Rumuodu community inElelenwo in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers state in adesperate search for members of a rival cult group, killing innocent persons.

CEHRD monitor gathered that when the 3member cult gang, armed withAk47, stormed the drinking spot, the rival cult members on sighting themescaped by jumping over a fence there. The angry cultists, who, as CEHRDgathered, came from the Eleme area in the state, angrily fired sporadically.

Cultists Kill 10 Innocent Persons inAShooting Spree

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At the drinking joint, the rampaging cultists opened fire on people there and4 persons died instantly. Those who died were in their nearby shops. Theyinclude: Uche, a tailor and two barbers. The incident took place at about8:30pm. Also in the shooting madness, two lovers who were relaxing in oneof the chalets at the joint were killed, bringing the number of victims to 6.

As if not satisfied, the cultists moved to another drinking spot at Rumudani,another part of Elelenwo (the water front, Mango Estate) in a futile searchfor their targets and killed another four innocent persons. CEHRDinvestigation revealed none of those killed were members of the rival gangsthe cultists were looking for.

The police command in the state confirmed the bloody incident.

The Federal Prison located in Ahoada town in the Ahoada-East LocalGovernment Area of Rivers State is over-congested and breeding groundfor diseases. CEHRD recent visit to the prison revealed a horrible situation.Inmates do not have access to drugs; there is epileptic power supply; there isendemic skin diseases on inmates, no mattresses to sleep on, most of theinmates fall sick without care, poor nutrition and worst still, about 80inmates are occupying a room.

The situation painted above is the same with the Port Harcourt prisons andeven the one near Asaba in Delta State, which CEHRD visited lately.Recently, following several petitions about the state of prisons in theBayelsa state, the Chief Judge (CJ), Justice KateAbiri ordered the release of12 inmates awaiting trial at the Federal prison inAhoada which is being usedby Bayelsa state to keep inmates from the state, though is located in Riversstate, outside the Bayelsa territory.

The 12 inmates were among 300 inmates, out of which 247, including 3females, are awaiting trial. One of the female inmates is charged for murder.An inmate who refused to give his name at the prison spoke to CEHRDmonitor: “we are treated like animals. We are living in a very bad condition.We don't eat good food. Some of our colleagues die on daily basis because ofpoor heath conditions. Please help us (to CEHRD) and tell the government

Bayelsa Prison in Rivers State Stinks

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keeping us, some of us are even innocent person”.

On Sunday, May 18, 2008, 6 fierce-looking, AK47-wielding men driving ina jeep along Ubima town, overlooking the Port Harcourt Elele/IsiokpoHighway in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, kidnappedthree foreign workers (2 Lebanese and one Syrian) working for JMScompany Limited; a construction company based in Rivers State.

The new Rivers state police spokesperson, Mrs Rita Inoma-Abbeyconfirmed the incident, but told CEHRD that the details of the incident werestill hazy as at the time of this report. The abduction of the expatriatescoincided with the abduction, (on Friday, May 16, 2008) of the wife ofDeputy General Manager of ELF Petroleum, Mrs. Ijeoma Anozie. She waskidnapped near her residence from church.

The monstrous rate of kidnappings has seemingly forced owners ofexpensive cars in Rivers State to abandon their big cars and resort to usingmotor bikes and taxi cabs, to escape the dragnet of the commercialkidnappers on the prowl.

On Monday, May 12, 2008, 6 gun men traveling in Toyota Camry carinvaded the sleepy town of Ulakwo 2, a rural village community in the EtcheLocal Government Area of Rivers state and kidnapped the ageing mother ofChidi Nweke, the ex-commissioner for Agriculture under the CelestineOmehia government in Rivers State.

The wild gunmen stormed the community at about 1:00am (in the night) andheaded straight to the aged woman's apartment where she was lying in thesitting room due to excessive heat in the area. For 6 months, the area hasbeen in total blackout. When the gunmen arrived, they broke the door anddragged the poor woman into their waiting Toyota Camry and escaped tounknown destination.

Chidi Nweke was not around when the incident occurred. A communityyouth activist who gave his name as Comrade Nelson spoke to CEHRD

Gunmen Kidnap 2 Lebanese, One Syrian Construction Worker

Ex-Rivers Commissioner'sAgeing Mother Snatched

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monitor in Ulakwo 2 community. “The Niger Delta region is movingtowards something else; day in and day out you hear one kidnapping story oranother by youths like us who have turned criminals. Something needs to bedone to stop this. This is not helping us. The government and the oilcompanies are not helping matters too. In the midst of wealth, every body issuffering, why won't people turn to criminal thugs?”

No group claimed responsibility for the kidnap, but CEHRD learnt the actwas carried out by one of the criminal gangs operating in the delta lookingfor money.

Just as violence, destruction and killings featured during the Rivers Statelocal government election in April 2008, the same characterized Delta Statelocal polls. On May 10, 2008, the Delta State local government electionswere held. Killings and gun violence characterized the local elections.

At Ward 17 in Ohwarovwon community in the Ughelli North LocalGovernment Area of the State, 4 persons were killed. Three of the victimsare identified as follows: - Ayoko Ohwroro, Agrey Useh and FrederickOmoyigbo. Those who sustained serious gun injuries were Aboni Ureri andJoseph Okonigbe. Among those killed, CEHRD gathered, 3 were membersof the ruling Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), while one was a member ofthe Labour Party (LP), an opposition party.

CEHRD also gathered that high level violence trailed local governmentpolls throughout the state. CEHRD was told by a victim who suffered minorgun injury that when Mr. Francis Obireh and his supporters were seen inwild jubilation that he was returned unopposed by the Delta StateIndependent Electoral Commission (DSIEC), violence erupted.

The Delta State police command confirmed the violence and said corpses ofthe victims were deposited at the Ughelli Central Hospital Mortuary.

In spite of controversies that trailed the local government council poll, thestate Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, on Tuesday, May 12, 2008,amidst tight security sworn in the chairmen, a total of 24 chairmen in the

Bloody Violence Soak Delta State Local Government Election

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state, except the chairman of Ughelli North council. PDP was said to haveswept all the positions. CEHRD is extremely worried by poor conduct of theelections. This really cast doubt on our democratic experiment. Thechairman in turn swore in the councilors representing the different wards inthe area.

In the early hours of Sunday, May 11, 2008, barely 12 hours after the flag-offof the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) governorship rally in Bayelsa state,heavily armed gunmen who were carrying out oil bunkering (oil theft) wereconfronted by the police over the illicit act. Two (2) of the policemen werekilled by the oil bunkerers. They also made away with rifles belonging to theslain policemen.

CEHRD got wind of the attack and informed journalists and others about theincident. CEHRD reliably gathered that the incident took place at Okikicommunity in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Ogbia in Bayelsa Stateand that when policemen on duty engaged the gunmen in gun duel, thepolicemen were overwhelmed by the superior fire power of the gunmen.

An Okiki resident who gave her name as Tari who spoke to CEHRD in thecommunity described the incident thus, “we could not sleep since 4:00am.The gun sounded as if we were at war. No body is really safe. I am evenafraid to go to my farmland today. I don't know the day this violence will endand we would live in peace as we used to”, the poor Okiki farmer who was inher late 50s cried.

The Okiki tragedy was coming at a time the Nigerian navy through itsdirector of information, naval headquarters, Capt. Henry Babalolo hadclaimed at the navy headquarters in Abuja that armed groups in the Deltacould no longer engage in illegal oil bunkering owing to naval operations inthe Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

The leading insurgent deltaic group, MEND was not responsible for thisattack. In the region there are several armed cartels that engage in criminalactivities. The attack on the police post and the carting away of the weaponswas done by one of those criminal groups.

Gunmen Kill 2 Policemen, CartAway Weapons

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The names of the affected mobile policemen are: Sergeant William Idiseyeand Corporal Alexson Nengite. At the time of this report, their corpses weredeposited at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Morgue in Yenagoa,Bayelsa state capital. The policemen were of the anti-sea piracy squadstationed at the area, Mr. Iniobong Ibokete, the police Public RelationsOfficer (PRO) of the Bayelsa state police command told CEHRD.

On Saturday, May, 10, 2008, a 3-year-old Tonye George was kidnappedfrom his father's house in George Ama in the Okrika Local GovernmentArea of Rivers State. The Victim is said to be son of Daniel George. Fewminutes after the abduction of little Tonye, kidnappers called the father todemand N5 million in order to release his son.

When CEHRD contacted Daniel George, father of the victim, he said thatthe kidnappers mistook his child for another person. He wondered how apoor man like him can pay such amount of money to the kidnappers. Hepleaded with them to release his child.

On Sunday, May 11, 2008, children and mothers in Rivers state marched tothe Rivers state government house to protest their ordeals in the hands ofcommercial kidnappers. Speaking on behalf of the state governor, MagnusAbe, the secretary to the state governor promised to address the issueseriously.

At about 11:00 am on Friday, May 9, 2008, , Mrs. Fedelia Chioma, a teacherwith the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Primary School at Oromineke inD/Line, Port Harcourt, Rivers State was kidnapped by six gunmen whostormed the place in a navy-blue Nissan Lancer car for the operation.

CEHRD gathered that immediately the gunmen drove recklessly into theschool compound, 2 of them stood at the entrance of the compound, while 4others dashed into the classrooms searching for the target. They eventuallyfound her and forced her into their waiting and steaming car and zoomed offwith her.

3-Year-old Tonye George Kidnapped in Okrika

Lawmaker's Mother Seized by Gunmen

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It was learnt that while the commercial kidnappers operation lasted, otherteachers and pupils were keep at gun point by the untamed kidnappers. IrejuBarasua, then Rivers police spokeswoman, confirmed the incident. Chiomais the mother of a member of the Rivers state House ofAssembly.

One of the demands of the kidnappers of Mrs. Fidelia Chioma was theimmediate resignation of Godden Ngozi Chioma as, the Rivers law maker.The kidnap has some political undertone.

On May 1, 2008, 3 armed youths riding on a motor bike popularly calledOkada in Nigeria, stormed a place in B-Dere community in the GokanaLocal Government Area of Rivers State and shot sporadically, killing 2persons and wounding other persons. Those killed were Nenibarini Naanee(from B-Dere) and Lebura Kpenu (from K-Dere) communities. Few otherpersons were terribly injured. The gun used in shooting the victims was theItalian made Baretta pistols.

Also, on Sunday May 4, 2008 gunmen stormed Kira community in the TaiLocal Government Area and killed 6 persons. Two of the victims wereidentified as Elder Nlemaa Agbabee and Kuru, who hailed from Kira, whilethe third person who CEHRD couldn't get his name hailed from Sime andothers from villages in their area. Over 18 persons were wounded. TheRivers State police confirmed the senseless killings to CEHRD andpromised to bring to book those involved in the act. Nobody has beenbrought to book as at the time of compiling this report.

On May 1, 2008, at about 9:30 am in Asaba, the capital of Delta state, NosaAigbangbe was kidnapped by gunmen. Shortly after, the kidnappers calledthe father of the victim and demanded a whooping sum of N20 million. OnMay 5, 2008, Nosa was released in Onitsha, Anambra State, about one hourdrive from his hometown.

The acting Delta state police commissioner, Jacob Oshiomogbo confirmedthe incident and said his command arrested some suspects in connectionwith various crimes in the state and said his men recovered some arms

8 Killed in Gokana, Tai Shooting

NosaAigbangbe Kidnapped inAsaba

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includingAK47 riffles.

On April 28, 2008, Chief Peter Edujoko Josiah of the Okoloma Ndoki(Afam) in the Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers state waskidnapped by seven heavily armed gunmen who stormed his compoundbarely an hour the victim arrived from his journey from Calabar, the capitalof cross Rivers State.

The victim was driven away in his own car to an undisclosed location.Before the kidnap incident, Josiah has some long-standing rift with someother chiefs of the community. CEHRD can't confirm whether his kidnap isthe fall out of the rift. At the time of this report, the Chief was still with hiscaptors.

Just as the London-based maritime watchdog, International MaritimeBureau (IMB) said Nigeria's waterways are the most dangerous in the worldfor seafarers, although the Nigerian navy says with correct arms andammunition in its hand, the waterways will be a safe, an expartriate shipcaptain was abducted in Bonny waterway, one of the dangerous Nigerianwater ways.ANigerian engineer was also abducted. The incident took placeat about 11:00am on Saturday, May 3, 2008, 15 miles north-west from theBonny Island in Rivers State.

Lt. Col. Musa Sagir, the spokesman of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Rivers,confirmed the incident and said the attack took place outside its area ofresponsibility. Of late there have been several attacks around the BonnyIsland by several armed groups which litter the area. The victims were laterreleased, but CEHRD could not confirm whether ransom was paid or not.

Gunmen loyal to the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta(MEND), the most formidable insurgent group in the region on SaturdayMay 3, 2008, attacked the Diebu creek flow station belonging to ShellPetroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) in thecoastal area of Peremabiri in the southern Ijaw Local Government Area of

Kidnappers of Ndoki Chief Demand N42m Ransom

Ship Captain, EngineerAbducted in Bonny Waterways

MENDAttacks Shell's Facility in Bayelsa

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Bayelsa State.

The gunmen who MEND said were from one of their militant cellsempowered by it to carry out the attack over-ran the heavily fortified Shellflow stations, destroying the facility such as 3 well heads (13, 15 and 16),while the inlet manifold and one separator including delivery lines werereportedly blown up by the MEND gunmen. This attack, MEND said, waspart of its campaign.

Shell's spokesman, Precious Okolobo, as well as Bayelsa State PoliceCommand, confirmed the attack. sHowever, MEND in an online message itsent out expressed happiness over the release of Edward OritsebugbemiAtatah who was arrested on September 3, 2007 with Henry Okah, inAngola,but said there will be no peace until Okah is released.

MEND said during the Diebu Creek attack, one of its attackers sustained aminor injury.

On Tuesday, May 13, Gunmen seized a vessel belonging to Tide waterscarrying 9 Nigerian, two expatriates (a Portuguese and a Ukrainian), whichrender supplies services for the American oil company, Chevron NigeriaLimited. The vessel called was traveling from Onne in theEleme Local Government Area of Rivers state to Escravos in the WarriSouth West Local Government Area of Delta State when it was interceptedby gun wielding men on the high sea and diverted to an unknown location.

CEHRD gathered that during the attack, there was no casualty, but thegunmen were demanding N30 million as ransom before the vessel andhostages would be released. Army spokesman, Lieutenant Col. Musa Sagirconfirmed the incident and said efforts were on top gear to uncover thosebehind the hijack.

Jomo Gbomo, Spokesperson for the Movement for the Emancipation of theNiger Delta (MEND) said its group was not responsible for the attack. “Weare aware of those behind the attack and do not support their motive.However, we will not see ourselves working on the side of the government in

Operation Cyclone

Lourdes Tide

Gunmen Hijack Vessel, 9 Nigerians, 2 Expatriates

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aiding the release of the hostage”, MEND stated.

In May 2008, when the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) RiversState did its matriculation, the event was marred by extreme cult violencethat led to the death of 8 persons and injuring of several others. Youngsterssuspected to be cultists wielding AK47 invaded the school and startedshooting sporadically.

Sadly on Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at about 11.00am when fragile peace seemsto have returned to the school, suspected cultists struck again. This timearound, they were coming for the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of theschool, Mr. Wali Amadi at his office in Delta Park. The assailants came onmotor bikes and started shooting indiscriminately. They shot dead Dr.Charles Ozuru of Curriculum Studies Department in the Faculty ofEducation of the University who ran into the office of the CSO. Also, a girlworking for a private security firm in the University, a boy and a trader at thescene were killed. The CSO was shot, but he managed to escape with thegun injury.

A distress call from the University got to the JTF shortly after the shootingspree, and they arrived. The JTF reportedly engaged the suspected cultistsin gun battle, killing 2 of them and arresting one. Both the military andpolice authorities in the state confirmed the incidents.

CEHRD investigation reveals that trouble started at the University whenEjoor Owoicho White, a student of the History and diplomatic studiesdepartment of the school, Skull executioner (Boss) of the Supreme VikingsConfraternity (SVC) command of UNIPORT did not like the way Mr. WaliAmadi, the school's Chief Security Officer (CSO) was operating, withoutenlisting the cult's service and without placing the Vikings on monthlyallowances like most schools in Nigeria do, to maintain “peace”. White wasangry and he mobilized other SVC suicide squad (fighters) and strike Chiefs(Hitmen) in the school. Also mobilized was their street equivalent, theIcelander (German), another notorious street cult founded by Tom Ateke in2000 with support from the Dr. Peter Otunaya Odili's government. BothWhite's SVC and the Icelander flared violence in the ivory tower which led

Cult Violence in Uniport, 8 Killed, Others Wounded

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to the death of several innocent persons.

The SVC was founded at the University of Port Harcourt in 1984 by a historystudent from Okrika, an Ijaw community in Rivers State.

All over the schools in Nigeria, there are several cult groups unleashingviolence and reprisal attacks against one another. This ugly scenario hadturned the academic institutions into ganglands.

In the wake of the cult violence, the Rivers State police spokesperson, Mrs.Rita Inoma Abbey released a list of those suspected cultists who carried outthe violence. They are Ejoor Owoicho White of the department of Historyand Diplomatic studies, Evans Arinze Nwabufo of Petroleum Engineering,Opuada Opusunju of Mechanical Engineering and Harrison Mac Amingo.Others are Wugate Henry Bariua of Petroleum Department, CollinsAmughan, Boma Dan Isokariari, Kingsley Osuji and Viemene Batom Bari.Some persons, classified as non-students who allegedly participated in thecult violence are Stanley Okpako, Emeka Jonathan, Preye Okonipiene,Ahiwe Henry Chinedu and Richard Whiteman Ohakwu.

On May 28, 2008, two expatriate staff, George Cerri, a Maltese andMuhammed Asif, a Pakistani, working for Lonestar Drilling Company, anoil service company, were taken hostage by unknown gunmen who waylaidthem between their camp site and their work site while executing a contractfor Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), the Italian oil giant in RiversState.

The driver to the victims told CEHRD that they were intercepted and led to awaiting bus by gunmen who later transferred the hostages into a waitingspeedboat, which ferried them to an unknown destination in the creek. Thewife of Philip Cerri, Mrs. Phina Cerri later said she established contact withthe kidnappers but did not know their exact location where her husband wasbeing held.

According to her, the commercial kidnappers were demanding a whoopingsum of N1 billion before they could be freed. Just recently, the wife of the

Kidnappers Demand N1 b to Free Expatriate Workers

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Chief Executive Officer of Lonestar Drilling Company, Chief Mrs.Margaret Idisi was kidnapped and released upon payment of some hugeamount of money as ransom.

At about 9.00am, on June 1, 2008 Mrs. Augustine Ekeowei, the wife ofChief Godwin Ekeowei, ex-commissioner in the administration of formergovernor DiepreyeAlamieyeseigha was kidnapped.

The victim was abducted from inside the Dosa Family Church in Abulomaarea of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The husband of the victim was recentlytipped as the new Secretary to the State Government under the “re-elected”Governor Timipre Sylva government. The Rivers State Police commandspokeswoman, RitaAbbey confirmed the kidnap incident.

The Ekeoweis hail fromAzuzuama community in the Southern IjawArea ofBayelsa State. Chief Ekeowei said that soon after the abduction of his wife,callers suspected to be the kidnappers called him and demanded N1 billionfrom him as ransom before they would release his wife.

Following the attacks coordinated by JTF on its camps throughout the deltaregion, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) andothers that promised to avenge the attacks became desperate. Jomo Gbomo,MEND's spokesperson in his usual online statement said in furtherlaunching reprisal attacks against the Nigerian state and its collaboratorswould unite all armed groups and elements in the Niger Delta to fight for acommon cause. The groups MEND want to unite range from cultists, realmilitants, oil thieves (bunkerers), sea pirates and others.

On Tuesday June 10, 2008, heavily armed militants in two speed boatsattacked a security vessel some 40 kilometers from the Nigeria coast, killinga Nigerian naval officer and injuring four other Nigerian seamen. Theattacked vessel belongs to Addax Petroleum. Same day, ferocious guns ofthe militants boomed several hours in the Ogbudugbudu creek in the WarriNorth Local Government Area of Delta State. They later engaged thesoldiers of the JTF there in serious gun duel. CEHRD also gathered that few

Former Bayelsa State Commissioner Kidnapped

Naval Officer Killed in Militant ReprisalAttack

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soldiers were fatally injured, but the attackers left unhurt.

One of the leaders of The Deadly Underdogs told CEHRD monitor that “thesoldiers have murdered sleep and therefore will not sleep any longer. Weshall take the battle to any where they might be”.

Brigadier-General Rimtip, the head of the Joint Task Force (JTF) said thathis “men repelled the attack by a bunch of criminals in the name of MEND”.

On May 11, 2008, gunmen numbering about 15, at about 3.00am, invadedthe Opobo Island in the Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Riversstate in two speedboats. They shot dead Mr. Friday Uranta, a security guardto Mr. Festus MacPepple, and Later kidnapped him.

Local people told CEHRD that the armed men entered the island shootingsporadically and detonating explosives suspected to be dynamites forseveral hours before breaking into the house of Senibo Festus Macpepplefondly called Adaface, an Octogenarian, and took him to an unknowndestination. The victim is the father of Henry MacPepple, the chairman ofAdamac Industries, an indigenous oil company headquartered in PortHarcourt.

A man who gave his name as Emmanuel Epelle who said he is a high schoolteacher and who hails from the community told CEHRD on phone,

The kidnapping of Festus Macpepple was done by one of those criminalgangs operating in the delta. The yet-to-be-identified kidnappers thatkidnapped 80-year-old Mac-pepple are demanding N350 million ransomsbefore releasing the man. Another security guard at Mac-pepple housecalled Ozoemena Jaja was also shot by the rampaging gunmen. Though, notdead, Lt. Col. Musa Sagir confirmed the incident.

On Sunday, July 13, 2008, Commander Prince Igodo, whose real name is

Gunmen Kill Security Guard, Kidnap Oil Magnate's Father

“Nowhere is safe. Even Opobo that used to be a quiet place is not at peacetoo? Those who buy gun for our young one to be doing this are wicked”.

Prince Igodo of Bayelsa State, Others Killed in Violent Clash

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Gibson Kala operator of a major militant cantonment clashed with some ofhis “disloyal” fighters led by Ogunbos at Prince Igodo's camp at Opuama inthe Southern Ijaw Local GovernmentArea of Bayelsa State, which led to hisfleeing the community to Emete in the same Southern Ijaw Area, where hereceived treatments for the gun injuries he received during the clash. Duringthe clash, several persons said to be innocent in the community were hit bythe flying bullets of the warring gangs.

CEHRD gathered that trouble in the militant command started over sharingof ransom money accruing from kidnap. Igodo was said to have cheatedOgunbos and other of his fighters who were involved in the deal. Ogunboswho is one of Igodo's fearless and daring fighters felt cheated and led arebellion to break away to establish his own camp which Igodo opposed.There was problem and Ogunbos who seemed to have been prepared bravedthe challenge, chased out Igodo, injured him and burnt his camp at Opuama.Igodo later escaped to Emete.

Ogbunbos and his loyalists traced his former comrade-in-arms (Igodo) towhere he was hiding in Emete. On Friday, June 27, at about 4.30pm,Commander Prince Igodo met death by installment as his two legs were cutoff and left to bleed to death under the supervision of his “disloyal” boys ledby Ogunbos. Ogunbos also enlisted the services of some Tom Ateke's boysin the area in confronting Igodo.

The late Prince Igodo hailed from Opuama clan in the Southern Ijaw LocalGovernment Area of Bayelsa State. He was 32 years old, father of twochildren, but no wife. A secondary school drop out, average height, dark incomplexion with a shooting goatee beard. He was trained in the camp of theNiger Delta People's Volunteer Force (NDPVF) operated by Dokubo-Asaribetween 2003 and 2004.

It is important to note that the late Prince Igodo of Bayelsa state is differentfrom the Prince Igodo of Rivers State. What a coincidence of name? Thelater was like that of Bayelsa State. That of Rivers State hailed from Tombiacommunity in the Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State. He wasin his mid 30s. He was the leader of The Deebam cult group, a notoriousstreet cult founded in Rivers State in 1991. Prince Igodo of Rivers State was

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killed on May 29, 2007, in a reprisal attack carried out by Soboma George'sThe Outlaws, another notorious cult group and Prince Farah Dagogo of theNiger Delta Strike Force (NDSF), a militant formation allegedly sponsoredby Rivers State Government under Sir Celestine Omehia. Both Soboma andFarah are commanders of MEND, although they are estranged now.

When CEHRD visited his Opuama community, those it spoke to never saidgood things about the late militant leader (Prince Igodo of Bayelsa State). Ayoungman who spoke to CEHRD described the late Prince Igodo of Bayelsaas “a criminal, he was terrorizing our community.You can't really say he wasa militant. He was just a criminal doing criminal things to make money. Weare happy that he is dead. He was not fighting for any body. He was fightingfor money”. He was also selling arms no body knows where he got themfrom”.

On Friday, July 27, 2008, Dr Epariba Apiri, a permanent secretary in theGovernor's office in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state who was kidnapped byunknown gunmen at about 1.00pm at Okodi community, a riverinesettlement in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa state was founddead floating in the creek of Okodi.

The deceased, was a staff of the Ministry of Budget and planning in the statebefore his appointment as a permanent secretary and posting to governmenthouse inYenogoa called, “CREEK HAVEN”.

CEHRD spoke with villagers from Okodi community. Mr. Nelson Preye, anative of the Okodi community said, “I suspect that it was not a kidnap case.There has been some crisis in the community and if it was a kidnap theywouldn't have killed him. I saw his dead body with bullet wounds. I don'tthink this is a kidnap case”.

The victim was hale and hearty before the incident, his co-workers toldCEHRD. He was at a wake keep in his village to attend the pre-burialceremony of the father of Vice President's ADC's father, he was said to haveleft for his house in the village alone when kidnappers lurking aroundswooped on him. The Bayelsa police spokesman, Ibokette Iniobong

Abducted Permanent Secretary Found Dead

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confirmed the incident, but gave the assurance that they would take theinvestigation into the matter seriously. If they actually did, the result is yet tobe seen, as the killers are still at large as at the time of this report.

On Thursday June 27, 2008, three persons including a policeman were killedand two others wounded when gunmen attacked a convoy of Dr. EmmanuelUduaghan, the governor of Delta State that was heading to the WarriStadium ahead of the governor and his team.

On that day the governor was to attend a football match organized to honourAustin Jay Jay Okocha, the Nigeria's footballer. As most politicians do inNigeira while traveling on the bad roads to a place, they first send anadvance team which contain both uniform and plain cloth securityoperatives. At about 2.30pm the governors advance team encountered agroup of gunmen along Pamol Estate in Ogbara community near Sepelebefore Warri who engaged them in serious shoot-out killing 3 personsincluding a policeman in the team. The affected Uduaghan's convoy leftAsaba, the capital of Delta state. The Delta State police commissioner, JacobOshomogho confirmed the incident, but in a statement he issued, he said,“Militants attacked a bullion van at Oghara. The governor's advance partymade up of military personnel ran into a hail of gunfire resulting in the deathof a driver in the police escort”.

However, Sunny Ogejere, the Chief press secretary to Uduaghan describedthe attackers as “armed robbers operating along pamol Estate, Oghara”.Violent crimes, attacks etc occasioned by misuse of small arms have becomeout of control in the delta region of Nigeria.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) onThursday, June 19, 2008 at 0045 hours overran the supposedly protectedBonga oilfield, an off-shore facility operated by Shell PetroleumDevelopment Company (SPDC), the Anglo-Dutch oil giant in the NigerDelta region of Nigeria.

Mr Basil Omiyi, the managing director of SPDC was quoted to have boasted

3 Killed as GunmenAttack Gov. Uduaghan's Convoy

MENDAttacks Shell's Bonga Oilfields

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in the wake of the sweeping attacks carried out by armed groups in the regionon oil facilities that Bonga oilfields was out of reach of the deltaic militants.Jomo Gbomo, MEND spokespersons said, after the attack, “the location fortoday's (Thursday, June 19, 2008) attack was deliberately chosen to removeany notion that off-shore oil exploration is far from our reach. The oilcompanies and their collaborators do not have any place to hide inconducting their nefarious activities”.

On Sunday June 8, 2008 the Joint Task Force (JTF) attacked camps believedto belong to militant groups in Bayelsa, Delta, Ondo and Edo States. Inresponse to the attack, MEND and other armed groups in the regionthreatened to avenge the attacks, even the Ijaw Youth Leadership Forum(IYLF), not an armed formation, but an umbrella body of youth leaders inIjawland, in protest against the attacks withdrew from the governmentinitiated peace process.

MEND said the main computerized control room responsible forcoordinating the entire crude oil export operations from the fields was theirtarget. Gbomo said they couldn't achieve that. The armed group said theykidnapped an American worker, Captain Jack Stone from a supply vessel,TIDEX they met while returning to their base from the attack on Bonga. Thetwo seamen on board the vessel were injured in that attack. MEND said inorder to prevent corrupt officials of the Nigerian government from using thekidnap case of Stone to make money while saying that they are negotiatingfor the release of the hostage, it released him immediately.

Shell's spokesman, Olav Ljosne confirmed the attack. CEHRD learnt thatBonga produces 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day which represents 10%of Nigeria's 2 million barrels of crude oil production per day. Shell shutsdown the facility after the attack. From land to Bonga oil field in theAtlanticOcean, is about 85 miles. CEHRD further gathered that a camp of MENDloyal to the detained Henry Okah operated by Victor-Ben Ebikabowei,popularly called Boyloaf coordinated the attack on Bonga oil field, afloating oil facility. The situation calls for serious concern.

On Saturday, June 21, 2008, a group of heavily armed young menFridayAniefiok Killed, 3 others WoundedAs Deebam Storm Suburb

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numbering about 10 sneaked through the creeklet at the Njemanzewaterfront and started shooting sporadically killing Mr. Friday Aniefiok, apoor passerby. Three (3) other innocent persons were also injured during theattack..

Members of the Deebam, a notorious street gang operating in the areacarried out the gun violence which lasted for about twenty five minutes andwhich claimed the life of an innocent person and injured others. Speakingwith an official of the Deebam, he said that, “actually there was no target, butjust to show that we are still around. You told me about the dead of aninnocent person and 3 others wounded. They were unfortunate”.

The shooting spree of the Deebam caused tension and panic which startedabout 11.30am, and led to closure of business premises along Njamanzearea, an over-crowded neighbourhood and its environs like Nsukka street etcin Port Harcourt. The Deebam cultists who stormed the area in two speedboats, fled through the waterfront and disappeared into the creeklets ofNjamanze as a team of police arrived. None of them were arrested.

Such pattern of violence is a frequent occurrence in several parts of the NigerDelta region of Nigeria nowadays that guns are out of control.

The Njemanze Slum has witnessed very violent and bloody attacks severaltimes launched by rival cult gangs fighting one another for territory control,dominion and supremacy. The Deebam is a street wing of The KlansmenKonfraternity (KK). The KK is a university cult founded at the University ofCalabar, Cross Rivers State in 1983 by 5 students who tagged themselves“none jaw-jawed men”. Another name for KK is Eternal Fraternal Order ofthe Legion Konsortium (EFOLK). In the early 1990s, the battle for territorycontrol and supremacy among rival campus gangs (cults) became bloody.There was spill over to the streets, and The Deebam was midwifed.

The Deebam in KK's communication code mean “Be strong”. In response,the Supreme Vikings Confraternity (SVC) founded at the University of PortHarcourt, Rivers State by a student of the history department from Okrika,an Ijaw community Rivers State formed its street wing called The Deewellabout 1992. In SVC's code, Deewell means “Be well.” These twosome street

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gangs with their parent bodies at the campuses have been involved in verybloody battles for dominion in the creeks, streets and campuses. Othergroups like Family Confraternity a.k.a. The Campus Mafia etc maintaintheir presence on campuses, secondary schools and the streets.

On Sunday, June 29, 2008, heavily armed gunmen loyal to Prince DagogoFarah of the Niger Delta Strike Force (NDSF) and a top commander in themilitary hierarchy in-charge-of the eastern command of the Movement forthe Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), invaded Abonnema in theAkukutorlu Local Government Area of Rivers, Killing Mrs. Gieka Pius, apoor trader while in search of Hassan, a top commander of The Outlaws ledby Soboma George.

CEHRD investigations revealed that Farah's fighters were transportingheavy shipments of assorted types of guns ranging from AK47s, G3s, FALand Rocket Propelled Grenades(RPGs) through the creeks of Krakrama totheir base in Tombia, in the Degema Local GovernmentArea of Rivers Statewhen they came under heavy gunfire. They were able to beat off theunknown attackers and moved safely to their base in Elem Tombia. Thecache of arms was so massive that it has to be transported for two days. Thesecond day was late May, 2008 of the transport of the dangerous small armsprocured by the MEND chief, his fighters while traveling in the creeks alsocame under heavy gunfire too. Like the first day, Farah men did not run butthey dared the unknown attackers and killed 4 of them, and captured onealive.

The one captured alive revealed who has been behind the attacks on Farah'smen when they were transporting their arms through the creeks. The“hostage” who is a Soboma fighter mentioned Hassan, they went back totheir camp and reported the incident to Farah, who immediately orderedthat, “Hassan should be produced before him dead or alive” Hassan is a topfighter of The Outlaws, a notorious cult group led by Soboma George whichwas founded in 2005.

On Saturday, July 5, 2008, acting on intelligence information, Farah'sfighters stormed Abonnema town and visited a place called “Bad Boys

6 Killed as Farah Battles Soboma George

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Joint” formerly called “After 5” and was operated by the wife of AlaboTonye Graham. And to be sure that they won't kill innocent person like thefirst day, they stormed the area on Saturday, June 29 , 2008. Upon arrival atthe Bad Boys Joint, they met a group of young men who were drinkingliquor. They were said to have asked, who is Hassan? Hassan who was drunkstood up and boasted, “I am Hassan, and I am the person that no body cantouch”. Farah's gunmen went back and returned there and asked again. TheHassan repeatedly identified himself. As they were very sure, they pumpedseveral rounds of gunshots from their new AK47s into Hassan's chest. Hefell and died instantly while those around scampered for safety.

The fighters returned to their base to inform Farah that they have killedHassan, but Farah rebuked them and ordered them to “go and bring hiscorpse”, and as a result of sporadic gunfire from Farah's boys, men of theJoint Task Force (JTF) took over the Abonnema town, so when Farah's boysreturned there to take the corpse of Hassan, the corpse of Hassan was alreadytaken to the mortuary there. They retreated and went to the mortuary in thenight and removed Hassan's corpse and took it to Farah at his base. No bodyknows what he did with a decomposing corpse of Hassan.

Following the incident, Farah has reportedly asked the chiefs of Abonnemato expel Soboma George from the town or face his attack. Soboma was ex-second in command to the Tom Ateke's Icelander cult also called Germanand also MEND commander who was one of the closest persons to Farah.Farah, who has many young people as his fighters, in 2005 led a major attackon the Port Harcourt prison to rescue Soboma who was facing murder chargeand was held there. Also, when in January, 2007 the police arrested Sobomafrom a church in Port Harcourt, Farah also led his child soldiers and rescuedhim.

Both of them are MEND commanders of the Henry Okah's faction. They areboth declared wanted by security operatives. Soboma who, since 2007 ran toAbonnema to dwell recently reconciled with TomAteke, his estranged boss.CEHRD investigations revealed that Soboma is seen more with Atekenowadays, but as the Farah offensive smells closer with his new weaponswho will stop this looming bloodshed of poor innocent children who wouldhave been useful to this society? But, as the report was getting out to the

th

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public, relief is said to be on the way as somebody has volunteered to brokera traue, and is yielding some fruits.

In the late part of June, 2008, Charles Bikume, a reporter with, an independent and critical local weekly newspaper based

in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital has received several death threats frompersons suspected to be linked to Tonye Harry, the speaker of the RiversState House ofAssembly.

In the mid parts of June, 2008 Charles Bikume has carried a critical report ofa demonstration staged by youths of Harry's Degema constituency, wherethe youths reportedly said that for the past 8 years, Harry has beenrepresenting the Degema constituency and has not brought anydevelopment to the area, but rather violence.

Immediately the newspaper containing the report hit newsstands, severalfaceless callers started calling the private mobile phone of the reporterthreatening to deal with him and queried why he wrote the report. Afrightened Bikume has reported the matter to the police, but the threats kepton coming. Bikume has told CEHRD, “I don't know what to do. My editorasked me to go and witness the demonstration which I did and reported whatI saw. I never knew that I will be facing this problem. I fear for my life”.

Tonye Harry was accused recently at the Rivers State constituted Truth andReconciliation Committee (TRC) sitting in Port Harcourt of maintaining aband of cultists. He was also accused of being responsible for theassassination of Chief Dr. Marshall Sokkari Harry, the vocal oppositionpolitician from the Tonye's constituency (Degema). Testifying at the TRC,Mr. Inye Harry, son of the murdered politician, told the TRC under cross-examination, and later presented some evidences of Tonye's meeting withthe late Prince Igodo, the Deebam Chief, thug and kidnapper from Tombiacommunity in the Degema Local GovernmentArea of River State.

On Saturday, March 29, 2008, Local Government Elections were heldthroughout the oily Rivers state in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, to elect

Journalist Receives Death Threat

Govt.Agents terrorise opponents during Rivers Local Council Polls

TheNeighbourhood

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chairmen into the 23 local government areas and councilors into wards in thestate.

CEHRD monitors, in conjunction with the Directorate of Public Affairs andEducation, carried out civic education in the Tai Local Government Areaand deployed monitors to monitor political parties campaigns in few localgovernment areas. CEHRD raised some concerns about the election relatingto intimidation of political opponents by suspected thugs of the rulingPeople's Democratic Party (PDP).

On March 29, 2008, the day of the election, CEHRD, with support from herpartner, Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), deployed monitors intoGokana, Khana, Tai, Eleme, Okrika and Ikwerre Local Government Areas.CEHRD is gravely worried that the ruling party, PDP and other parties havenot imbibed basic ethics of democratic elections. There was wide scalethuggery, hijacking of ballot boxes, killings of political opponents andothers. CEHRD observed that the electoral malpractices were carried out bythe ruling PDP with connivance with security officials and officials from theRivers state independent electoral commission.

In Eleme, one person was killed; PDP had a field day thumb printing andstuffing ballot boxes with it. This was the practice throughout the areasCEHRD monitored.

In Tai Local Government Area, the PDP chairmanship candidate, Mr. BarryMpigi, ex-Tai Local Government chairman and former commissioner foryouth Affairs in the state, flooded the rural area with heavily armed thugsfrom Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers state. On the day of the election, thehouse of Mr. Perkin Pelo, the chairmanship candidate of the oppositionparty,Action Congress (AC) in Bunu community was razed down to ashes.

In Borobara community, the house of Mrs. Lekue Aminikpo, an ACsupporter, was also razed by rampaging PDP hoodlums. In Koroma, theelectoral officer of his area was abducted and his whereabouts remainedunknown until he yielded to the PDP terms of signing a document that therewas election in the area. Report has it that the situation was just the samethrough the state. The election was cancelled in Five Local Government

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Areas following public outcries that greeted the controversial election. Theaffected areas include Oyigbo, Degema, Ahoada, Bonny and Opobo Nkoro.Another election was fixed and held in the affected areas on April 19. It wasalso marred by irregularities that disenfranchised the electorate.

People's rights to vote and be voted for were violated with impunity by thestate government which ensured that only its candidates were imposed onthe people.

On Monday, February 22, 2008, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Nkwo, a senior staff of theElf Petroleum Nigeria Limited (EPNL) was kidnapped by gunnmen fromPort Harcourt and taken to one of the communities in the Khana LocalGovernment Area of Rivers state. The victim (Mrs. Oluwatoyin's) husbandis also the manager, training services with EPNL.

Following the kidnap of the woman, reports have it that some villagers whonoticed that the woman was kept in the community went and reported to thesecurity officials who started being on the trail of the kidnappers.

The victim however managed to liberate her self from the net of her captors.CEHRD gathered that when one of the kidnappers' armed guards went on asurveillance of the neighbourhood, the kidnapped woman took a tablet ofsoap that was within, put it in water and robed on her ankles to facilitate theremoval of the chains from her ankles. It worked and she succeeded inremoving the chains and she escaped.

Sources told CEHRD that she ran into the nearby bush before the armedguard returned and later found her way to the Bori central police station. Inthis case no ransom was collected. Police authority in the area confirmed thisto CEHRD.

On March, 2008, 6 gunmen dressed in mobile policemen uniforms struck ata hairdressing saloon located on Ada George Road, Port Harcourt owned byMrs. Dorothy Otele, wife of the bayelsa state House of Assembly lawmakerrepresenting Yenagoa constituency III, Mr. Franklin Otele and Kidnapped

Abducted Female Oil Worker Disappears from Kidnappers

Dorothy Otele Rescued from Commercial Kidnappers

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her. The kidnappers took her to an unknown location.

But through a combined effort of the Bayelsa sate government, the NigerDelta Peace and Rehabilitation Committee (NDPRC), the Joint Task Force(JTF), the State Security Service (SSS) and the police, the area where shewas being held hostage after spending over a week in the gunmen's captivitywas located around Eneka, a suburb of Port Harcourt. An intense militaryoperation was conducted. In the cause of the operation to rescue the woman,there was exchange of gun fires between the commercial kidnappers and thesoldiers.

The kidnappers also attempted to escape with Mrs. Otele to another location,but were forced to abandon her before escaping unhurt. She was laterrescued alive and handed over to her husband, Franklin Otele.

CEHRD further learnt that the kidnappers demanded the sum of N200million before she would be set free.

Mr. Azikiwe Orukwo, a resident of the Okposi community in theOgba/Egbema/Ndoni Local GovernmentArea of Rivers state reported to theCentre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD) thathis 7 year-old daughter (name withheld) was mercilessly raped by 58-year-oldAnthony Oko Ogu, a staff of the NigerianAgip Oil Company (NAOC).

CEHRD gathered that Ogu saw the little girl while she sleeping on a woodenbench in Mr. Orukwo, the victim's father's parlour and carefully carried herdown to the bare floor, drew his elongated penis and pierced it into the poorgirl's vagina while she was deep asleep. The pain of the exercise forced thegirl to wake up. When she woke while the man was still on top of her, thevictim was unable to disengage the cruel Anthony Oko Ogu from her self inspite of her struggling. She bled profusely through her vagina.

Further findings revealed that after the nefarious act, in a bid to appease thedefiled girl, Mr. Ogu reportedly gave her N20 to buy biscuit which the girlrefused and reported to her parents and other neighbours around. Orukwo,father of the victim said that Ogu later contacted him with a sum of N60, 000

Father of Raped Girl reports to CEHRD

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and other items, saying that he was sorry.

CEHRD was told that the matter was reported to the Omoku DivisionalPolice Headquarters and that the girl has made statement to the police. But,CEHRD had tried to contact the police to confirm the incident but has notbeen successful as at the time of the report.

On Thursday, March 27, 2008, heavily armed gunmen struck at the home ofMr. Stanley Oforegbu, an assistant personnel manager with GlobstarNigeria Limited, an oil firm at Igbudu, Delta state, kidnapping his pregnantwife, Mrs. Oforegbu due to deliver a baby soon.

Eye-witnesses told CEHRD that the gunmen in commando style forced thevictim into a waiting car and sped off. A day after the abduction, the womandelivered a baby in the kidnapper's den inside a bush.After the safe delivery,the kidnappers called her husband on phone and demand a ransom of onemillion naira.

Further findings revealed that it was actually the husband that they wanted tokidnap but the abductors reportedly failed several times to achieve theirmission. They later decided to kidnap the wife.The kidnappers are believed to have come from the firm's host community(Igbudu). They were said to be unhappy with the way and manner Mr.Oforegbu was handling employment opportunities provided by thecompany (Globstar Nigeria Limited).

Sources told CEHRD that the companies have been having problems withthe Igbudu community.

On Tuesday, March 4, 2008, two children of Ephraim Nwuzi, the ex-chairman of the Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, werekidnapped by gunmen in front of his house. The gun, CEHRD gatheredfrightened the driver conveying the 2 kids between the ages of 2 and 6, withwild gun shots before taking the kids away rights in front of their house.

Pregnant Woman gives Birth in Captor's Den

Politician's Children Kidnapped

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Nwuzi who returned to the Etche council as chairman after a local electionwhich is widely condemned as not free and fair said his travails arepolitically induced. The politician further said that he is not indebted toanyone and has no problem with any body that would provoke such action.He said his victory at the primaries of the ruling PDP can be said to be linkedto his ordeal.

“Why did they not come while I was in office? Why did they not come whenI left? They came just after I won primaries for re-election. This is bad andwicked. Politics should not be played this way” Nwuzi cried to CEHRDmonitor.The state of violence perpetrated by criminal gangs on the loose in the area,kidnapping of children and others and demanding ransom has becomeworrisome in recent times. The children were later released to their parentsafter an undisclosed amount was paid as ransom to the kidnappers.

It was really a tragic end for Mr. Njo Amadi who died on March 8, 2008.Heavily armed gunmen had in late February kidnapped Amadi atRumuolumeni community in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area ofRivers state and took him to a hidden place while calling his family to paythem a ransom of N8 million naira. The kidnappers had actually collectedpart of the ransom money and told the family members where they couldmeet and receive the hostage.

Anxious members of the victim's immediate family rushed to the agreedplace but were shocked to see the lifeless body of the abducted Njo Amadi.Amadi's widow, Justina, lamented to CEHRD about the agony of her deadhusband.

Rivers state police spokeswoman confirmed the incident and said it was thevictim's wife who informed the police about it and that the police willinvestigate the matter. She further said that following Amadi's abduction,one of the deceased sons was arrested by the State Security Service (SSS) forinterrogation.

Abducted Man Dies

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11-Year-old Girl Raped by Beer Parlour OwnerAn eleven-year-old girl was raped by a 25 year old beer parlour operator,Ebuka Ginika. CEHRD gathered that on Monday at about 12 noon, the littlegirl had gone to the shop opposite their house, a three storey building alongOjiegbu road, mile 3 Diobu to buy puff-puff. When she got to the gate andwas beckoning on the shopkeeper to come and sell something to her, thelittle girl saw nobody. She was about going back, when the rapist came outand told her that puff-puff was inside. As she got in to collect the stuff fromhim, the rapist began to make advances towards her and as she rebuffed him,he over powered her and forced himself on her after covering her mouth.

An alarm raised by the girl as she battled him drew the attention of acustomer whose knock at the gate forced the rapist to release the girl. Onbeing released, she ran to the mile three market nearby to alert her mother,whose attempt to get him to explain what had happened attracted theattention of neighbours who later helped her to get the police to arrest him.

A source close to the parties concerned told CEHRD, it was about mid dayMonday, January 14, 2007 that a neighbour, a lady who sells at the mile threemarket rushed back from the market accompanied by her crying littledaughter of about 11 years old. I heard the woman ask the beer parlouroperator directly opposite her what he has done to her daughter. As the manin her 20s replied “wetin I do?,” the woman grabbed him by the waist andstared screaming, “you must say wetin you do my daughter. You must saywetin you do my daughter”. That attracted neighbours around who came into intervene. “When they found that it was rape case, they urged theaggrieved woman to release him to allow then question him in private.

The crying little girl narrated how he led her into the shop while nobody wasaround and after asking why she did not go to school, pretending to wipeaway water from her body, he started making unwanted advances and as thegirl rebuffed him, he covered her mouth, dragged her inside and forcedhimself on her.

“While the neighbours were interrogating him to get the truth out, the policewas called in who handcuffed and took him to the Olu Obasanjo policestation”.

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CEHRD gathered from the police station that the girl was taken to theBraithwaite Memorial Hospital, BMH where the doctor confirmed forcefulentry into her private part and there were traces of semen indicating rape.The police who were coercing the parents of the girl to accept a settlementfollowing their insistence on going to court, were however to receive arequest from the hospital that the rapist himself should be brought forHIV/AIDS screening. He was taken to the hospital in handcuffs on Tuesdayand the result was out, Thursday. It is not clear what his HIV status was atpress time.

The police had earlier tried to prevail on the girl's parents to accept amonetary settlement while the boy should buy something for the girl, asuggestion the girl family rejected. The family insisted on going to the court.

On Monday, August 12, 2008 heavily armed fighters from the Tom Ateke'sNiger Delta Vigilante Movement (NDVM) and Niger Delta Patriotic Force(NDPF) destroyed a major pipeline belonging to the Nigerian NationalPetroleum Corporation (NNPC). The pipeline transfers gas from theAlakirigas flow station to the Port Harcourt refinery.

According to Tamuno Ebitari, spokesperson for the NDVM/NDPF, “Thisparticular one was chosen to demonstrate our might in going beyond sealevel to sabotage oil facilities. This is one of our plans to cripple theeconomic base of Rivers State, since Governor Rotimi Amaechi said he hasover a N100 billion in banks and could not develop Rivers State because ofour leader, Tom Ateke, we will stop him from accumulating more money tobe stolen”.

Ateke's action was happening at a time when there were cracks in militant'scamp over call for dissolution of the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) by some militant groups. The Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC),a militant clearing house had called for the dissolution of the NDDC boardover the involvement of its former board chairman,Ambassador Sam Edemin voodoo scam. The western delta command of MEND who is said to havereceived substantial amount of money from NDDC condemned the callopenly.

Ateke's Groups Destroy NNPC Gas Pipeline

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Same period, the State Security Services (SSS)'s secret report revealed thatmany weapons used in Liberia were in the hands of the Niger Delta armedgroups. According to the report, “There arms were kept in crate but howthey found their way to the Niger Delta is what we are probing. We aresuspecting the looting of armory by some armed force personnel and theymust have sold the arms to these militants” The SSS report is rather belated.The Liberia source, CEHRD can authoritatively assert, is just one of thesources of arms in the region.

On Monday August 11, 2008, Mr. Josiah Onaro, a 54-year-old petroleumtanker driver was kidnapped at Eku on his way from Warri, the slummymetropolis of Delta State. Onaro, a father of 12 children hails fromUmunede community in the Ika North-East Local Government Area ofDelta State.

Of late, around Asaba, the capital of Delta State and its environs, like IkaNorth-East Local Government Area, there has been increase in kidnappingincidents. Following these incidents, heavily armed soldiers were deployedto Agbor, headquarters of Ika-South Local Government Area and Owa-Oyibu, headquarters of Ika North-East Local Government Area, in DeltaState.

On Sunday August 24, 2008, gun men numbering 10 in speedboat armedwith General multi-purpose machine guns (GMPMG) and AK-47 assaultriffles hijacked a vessel belonging to the West Africa Off-Shore Limited(WAO), a service and repair firm.

The vessel tagged, “WAO Benue” was returning from Agbaim in DeltaState to Onne in Rivers State when gun-wielding men swooped on thevessel and kidnapped 8 crew members who are all Nigerians. The vesselwas attacked near Forge Island along the Bonny channel. Credible sourcesrevealed to CEHRD monitors that the vessel and the kidnapped crewmembers are at a camp at Elem Krakrama in the Tombia area in the DegemeLocal GovernmentArea of Rivers State.

Josiah Onaro, 54-year-Old Tanker DriverAbducted

Gunmen Kidnap Ship Crew,Youth Corper

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The affected vessel was hired by Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL). Though,no group had claimed responsibility for the kidnap, groups that are veryprominent in the area include Soboma George's The Outlaw, SobomaJakirich aka Egberi papa of the People's Liberation Force (PLF) and FarahDagogo of the Niger Delta Strike Force (NDSF); all commanders of theMovement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) in the easterndelta command.

Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of theJoint Task Force (JTF) in Rivers State confirmed the incident, but said thatthe vessel had no security escort on it and that is why the gunmen succeededin taking its crew members away. The reason for the action, CEHRDreliably gathered is to get ransom from the boat owners.

In a separate incident on same Sunday August 24, 2008, Miss IfeanyiOweneke, a youth corper and daughter of Mr. Mathew Oweneke, a seniorofficial of Halliburton Nigeria Limited, a major oil service company was onher way to where she was posted when ransom-seeking gunmen kidnappedher. On Monday August 5, 2008, she was released after her father paid thekidnappers some amount of money.

On Tuesday July 29, 2008 Soboma George, leader of The Outlaws andSoboma Jakirich aka Egberi Papa clashed in Abonema community in theAkuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State; other parts of RiversState also witnessed some violence arising from theAbonema Mayhem.

On Monday night, August 2, 2008, violent war of attrition between thetwosome gang leaders erupted in the dockyard area of Port Harcourt. Thegang violence later spread to Bende Street, Ibadan, Borokiri and Degemawatersides, all in major streets and slums in Port Harcourt, the capital ofRivers State.

In the various clashes, 10 persons were reportedly killed; among the victimswas a pregnant woman. When the fighting groups advanced towards Nembewaterside they ran into a heavily built military barricade set up by JTF who

Egberi Papa, Soboma George's violence spreads To Port Harcourt as 15Feared Dead

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engaged them in fierce battle. Some of the Igberi Papa and Soboma'sfighters were killed. Same day, Igbari Papa's camp in Obonoma/Miniamanear Abonema in the same Akuku Toru Local Government Area of RiversState was burnt down by Soboma's fighters.

CEHRD gathered during the violence that Soboma George had gone to TomAteke, leader of the Niger Delta Vigilante Movement (NDVM) and NigerDelta Patriotic Force (NDPF) and solicited his help to fight Igberi Papa whohad the support of Faala Benibo, better known as Dagogo Farrah, leader ofthe Niger Delta Strike Force (NDSF) who also doubles as a MENDcommander in charge of the eastern axis of the delta.

It was further learnt thatAteke called Sogboma and Egberi Papa and advisedthem to stop the madness and that they should create a unifying force toconfront the Nigerian state and its allies which is their enemy.

In an online message, which was made available to CEHRD, Ateke'sNDVM/NDPF's spokesperson, Tamunokuror Ebitari said, “I am highlydisappointed that two sons of Buguma town (Soboma and Egberi Papa)would tear themselves apart because they want to do the biddings ofpoliticians. I want to express disappointment over the recent attacks andcounter-attacks on one another by people I call my children in the NigerDelta struggle”.

“I want to express my apology on behalf of my children to our people andother innocent people in the state for this unwanted disturbance. I amoffering myself to put an end to it. I want the public to know that what ishappening is traceable to a failed political system where franchise of thepeople has been sacrificed on the alter of political intrigues by viciouspoliticians who impose their choice candidate on the people” Ebitarirevealed.

Few days afterAteke's public statement, the violence ended. General EgberiPapa is the leader of the People's Liberation Force (PLF) and also a MENDcommander in the eastern delta command.

On Tuesday August 26, 2008. gunmen in mobile police uniform shot aOne Killed By Gunmen in Police Uniform, School Principal Kidnapped

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youngman dead in Rumukalagbor community in the Port Harcourt LocalGovernment Area of Rivers State. The youngman who was gunned down,CEHRD gathered, hailed from one of the Ijaw communities in Rivers State.The “mobile policemen” had stormed the community to attack thedeceased's elder brother, who at the time the gunmen visited was not around.They shot dead his younger brother and escaped.

CEHRD spoke to witnesses. Hear a youngman in the rough neighbourhoodwho pleaded that his name should not be mentioned, “I think the killing iscult related. Those boys are cult boys. They were on a revenge mission. Isuspect that they are members of the Deebam”. The police in the areaconfirmed the incident and said they are investigating it.

Also, that same August 26, 2008, gunmen in an unrelated incidentkidnapped Mr. Charles Amadi, the principal of GovernmentComprehensive Secondary School, Alesa-Nchia community in the ElemeLocal Government Area of Rivers State. Amadi was kidnapped from hisresidence in Port Harcourt. The kidnappers were demanding N10 millionnaira initially, but CEHRD gathered that the victim's relatives paid someundisclosed amount before he was released, but not the whooping N10million naira, the kidnappers demanded for.

On Thursday August 21, 2008, six heavily armed gunmen traveling in anunmarked old model Volkswagen passat car struck at the premises ofVictory Supermarket along Ada George Road in the Obio/Akpor LocalGovernmentArea of Rivers State and kidnapped twin Toddlers.

The toddlers whose names are Ebiere and Tarilla Don-Kennedy, both 18months old were abducted from their father's Toyota Land Cruiser Jeepparked at the premises of the supermarket. Their parents had gone to thesupermarket to purchase some items when the kidnappers sized the childrenfrom the jeep and transferred the victims into a fairly new Mercedes Benzcar they had snatched from another person. The kidnappers escaped unhurt.

As usual, few hours after the kidnapping incident, the kidnappers called Mr.and Mrs. Don-Kennedy to demand for a whooping sum of N30 million. The

Kidnappers of Toddlers Demand N30M

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Rivers State police spokeswoman confirmed the incident, and said thepolice was combing every where to track down the kidnappers and rescuethe kids.

When Tom Ateke of the Niger Delta Vigilante Movement (NDVM) andNiger Delta Patriotic Force (NDPF) was contacted over the incident, hedenied the involvement of his groups in the act, and promised to liaise withother armed groups in the delta, to fish out the culprits. CEHRD gatheredthat the 18-month-old twins, sons of Don Kennedy, a Private businessmanand Ijaw nationalist was later released without payment of any ransom.

In the early hours of Monday July 14, 2008, at the Abraka community in theEthiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, Miss Hannah Mgaji, ahairdresser was raped and murdered by the rapist.

On the fateful day, Hannah, the deceased who hailed from the Tiv tribe ofBenue State in the north central part of Nigeria, had received a call on hermobile phone from her friend, Evelyn to come to her house to fix her hair.CEHRD gathered that after fixing Evelyn's hair, at about 10.00am Hannahwanted to return to her home, but a man broke into the room where Hannahwas making Evelyn's hair and pointed a berretta pistol at Hannah's head,seized her and took her to the house's verandah and raped her mercilessly,and shot her dead afterward.

Hannah was the first child of her poor parents, her mother a farmer and herdeceased father found dead by the road side atAbraka in 2006 after the poorman lost his job. As at the time of this report, the corpse of Hannah was stillin a mortuary in Abraka. Mrs. Margaret Mgaji, the mother of the deceasedtold CEHRD that one Mr. Owholo Ovie had proposed to marry Hannah, butthe said Ovie had a wife and wanted to take her as second wife. She said onSaturday, July 13, 2008, her dead daughter received several telephone callson her phone, threatening to deal with Hannah if she doesn't leave herhusband, Owholo Ovie alone. And that on Monday July 14, 2008, she wasraped and killed.

CEHRD investigations into the matter revealed that all suspects (Evelyn

18-Year-Old Hannah Mgaji Raped and Murdered inAbraka

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and others) arrested in connection with the murder were released on bail bythe police from their homicide detective unit at the police headquarters inAsaba, Delta State capital. CEHRD is aware that many times the policecollect bribe in a matter like this and pervert the course of justice.

Deeply concerned and saddened by the gruesome murder of Hannah,CEHRD wrote a petition to the police urging a thorough investigation intothe matter. The letter was sent to the police on August 4, 2008, but the policeneither repplied to the letter nor take the matter seriously because the poorMrs. Margaret Mgaji could not afford a day meal for herself not to talk ofpaying bribe to the police.

On Wednesday August 27, 2008, Moshe Ram, the Israeli Ambassador toNigeria visited Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State. He attended adinner Gala Night organized in his honour by the state government. TheIsraeli diplomat blamed the mass media for orchestrating the insecurity inthe state and the entire Niger Delta region, and declared “myself and mydelegation feel very secure, the media hype was because, newspaper havetheir main task to sell”.

In an interview with journalists after the dinner, the ambassador boasted thatgiven the presence of an Israeli private security expert in his delegation hiscountry could partner with Rivers State in the area of security. Not up to 30minutes after Ambassador Moshe Ram's declaration, 60-year-old EhudAvni was kidnapped from his No. 3Austine OparaAvenue, offAbacha Roadresidence in Port Harcourt at about 11.10pm by three heavily armedkidnappers as he just returned from the dinner in honour of the ambassador,Ram.

Mrs. Rita Inoma-Abbey (DSP) confirmed the incident and said a manhuntwas unleashed on the trail of the kidnappers. Speaking to CEHRD, OgbonnaNwuke, the Rivers state commissioner for information described the actionas “a calculated attempt to embarrass the government and people of thestate”. No group claimed responsibility for the kidnap, but the movementfor the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said it located where EhudAvni was held and offered to secure his release.

Israeli Worker Kidnapped as itsAmbassadorVisits Port Harcourt

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But MEND later opted out of the process of securing the release of theIsraeli hostage when the group (MEND) said an Israeli National News(Arutz Sheva) described MEND as a terrorist group. “MEND will onlyplead with his captors to be humane but will not intervene to allow thesecurity operatives earn their pay by finding and negotiating his release”Joma Gbomo, MEND's spokesperson said.

Mr. Ehud Anvi, is the project manager of Gilmor Engineering Company, anindigenous servicing firm based in Port Harcourt. Anvi's constructioncompany is handling the construction of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)branch building in Port Harcourt. The 60-year-old Israeli was released laterafter the payment of ransom. CEHRD was told by security officials that thestate government paid the kidnappers 40million naira and that somegovernment officials were said to be involved but refused to disclose theirnames. CEHRD gathered that the Chief Executive Officer of the Israeliconstruction firm, Eli Golder facilitated the payment of the money.

On Monday June 31, 2008, members of the Deebam and Dewell, the twonotorious street cults engaged one another in a fierce shoot out at Swali, asprawling suburb in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.The violence led to the death of two. As the cult violence spreads, residentsof the area fled while primary and secondary schools in the area shut downas the cultist's guns barked.

When CEHRD visited the area, a police Armored Personnel Carrier (APC)and other police vehicles were sited along the main road in the Swali area.On Sunday July 6, 2008, the Deebam and Dewell also clashed in Akabacommunity in the same Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.CEHRD gathered that sophisticated weapons like the Russian AK47 andItalian Beretta pistols and dynamites were freely used by the warringcultists.

A 55-year-old woman, Emilia Audu was roasted to ashes when her housewas set ablaze. The Dewell and Deebam are street cult groups with theirlinks to other campus confraternity.

Cult Violence Left 3 Dead in SeparateAttacks in Bayelsa

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Gunmen Kidnap Two French Expatriates in Onne

Rising Ekennoa Kidnapped in Rumuolomeni

On Sunday August 3, 2008, heavily armed gunmen numbering about 10kidnapped French nationals at a popular drinking spot in Onne communityin the Eleme Local GovernmentArea of Rivers State

The heavily armed gunmen had entered the drinking spot and behaved likeany other clientele by ordering few bottles of chilled beer that evening whilewaiting for their preys (expatriates) who usually come to the place to drink.At about 9:30 pm they fired few gunshots around the area and in thestampede quickly seized two French nationals that were drinking there andjumped into their waiting speed boat and zoomed off.

The scene of the incident (drinking spot) is located a hundred metres from acheck point mounted by soldiers from the Joint Task Force (JTF), and alsocloser to a navy training school. An eye witness told CEHRD that thegunmen who came in a 14 seater Mitsubuishi bus also fired sporadic gunshots at the gate of the naval school, set their bus ablaze when they got toOnne waterside and jumped into their boat and spirited into the creek.

Lt. Col. Sagir. Musa, spokesperson for the JTF confirmed the incident, butclaimed that his men (JTF soldiers) gunned one of the fleeing gunmen todeath. This is contrary to what the locals told CEHRD. Musa could not alsopresent the corpse of the dead gunman to the public. No group claimedresponsibility.

In Nigeria oftentimes one can not differentiate between who is authorized tocarry gun or not, as some times one sees policemen in mufti wielding gundangerously. CEHRD was reliably informed that ransom was paid to thekidnappers by their employers, but don't know the amount.

On Wednesday July 30, 2008, at about 8:30pm heavily armed gunmenentered the compound of Chief Rising Ekennoa, the traditional ruler ofNbuochohia village in Rumuolomeni in the Obio/Akpor Local GovernmentArea of Rivers State and abducted him.

The kidnappers numbering 3 entered the Chief's compound under the guiseof looking for his relative. They later pulled out their guns and ordered

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Ekennoa at gun point to march to their waiting boat stationed at Eagle IslandRiver and escaped into the creeks.

CEHRD investigation revealed that the traditional ruler has been atloggerheads with other community members over royalties paid to thecommunity by Saipem, the Italian oil servicing company. Chief Ekennoa isalso a contractor to SAIPEM. CEHRD cannot establish whether his ordealis linked to the community problems.

The Rivers State police command confirmed the incident to CEHRD, butsaid the kidnap of the traditional ruler might have been one of thecommercial kidnapping cases.

Kidnappings and ransom demands are a violation of the victim's rights andthis ugly trend has been on the increase in the Niger Delta region of Nigeriain recent time. Several gangs operating in the region have taken advantageof the weak security system in place, to unleash such pattern of violence.The massive poverty, unemployment, corruption and bad governance in thecountry have not helped matters. CEHRD is worried that this abnormalsituation will continue for a long time if the Nigerian government did not putup a sincere, genuine and sustainable effort to address the situation.

On Wednesday July 30, 2008, at about 4.30pm gunmen numbering 8invaded facilities belonging to the Shell Petroleum Development Company(SPDC) at the Cawthrone Channel III in the Degema Local GovernmentArea of Rivers state, killing 6 persons including a mobile policeman.

Narrating the ordeal to CEHRD, a staff of Oil Serve, an oil service companyto Shell said “the gunmen numbering about 8, invaded our house boat andstarted shooting sporadically. Everybody ran for safety. Several peopleworking at the facility were injured, while we recorded 6 casualties. Thegunmen went away with two double engines belonging to Oil Serve.”

Both the military and police authorities denied knowledge of the attack,which was described by eye witnesses as “fatal”. It would be recalled thatShell facilities at Nembe trunk line at the Kula community and Rumuekpe

Five Civilians, One Police Killed as MilitantsAttack Shell's Facility

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were simultaneously attacked 3 days ago by gunmen.

From the midnight of Saturday July 12, 2008, the Movement for theEmancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the deltaic most prominentinsurgent group called off its unilateral cease-fire, and vowed to continueattacks against British interest in the region. British Prime Minister GordonBrown had earlier promised to give military assistance to Umaru Yar Aduaof Nigeria at the G8meeting held in Japan early in the month, to fight againstwhat he called, “Blood Oil”.

Around July 22, 2008, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC)'s Group managing director, Abubakar Lawal admitted that thecorporation held talks with militants in Delta State and even paid them N1.4billion ($12 million) two months earlier before they allowed the corporationto repair an NNPC's pipeline which they destroyed in Chanomi creek in theWarri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State which theydestroy in 2006. CEHRD learnt that the same payment was made toTompolo, a factional leader of MEND; The Henry Okah faction of MENDhad threatened to resume attack, destroying the pipeline NNPC is payingsome militants to protect.

On Monday July 28, 2008, MEND used explosives and attacked the Nembecreek trunk line, a major oil facility operated by Shell PetroleumDevelopment Company (SPDC). The attack led to Shell shutting down itsproduction of 130,000 barrels of oil per day.

Another Shell's Oil facility in Kula was also attacked by the militants.

On Saturday July 26, 2008, at about 3.00am, expatriates on an LPG tankerwere kidnapped by gunmen off the turbulent Bonny River and taken away,while 2 civilians aboard the vessel was killed during the attack.

Those kidnapped were 2 Russians, one Lithuanian and 5 Latvians who arestaff of Global Gas Services Limited. CEHRD gathered that on SundayJuly 27, 2008, the hostages gained their freedom.

MEND Calls off Ceasefire,Attacks Major Pipelines in Nembe

8 Expatriates Kidnapped

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In spite of the claims by the government that no money was paid in line withgovernment policy of non payment of ransom to free hostages, CEHRDgathered from security officials that a whooping sum of N15 million wasexpended. The money was delivered to the kidnappers around theAbonnema creeks in Rivers State early Sunday morning.

The expatriates were later freed. The attack on LPG tanker stationed at theYellow platform located at Buoy 38/39 along the Bonny River, happenedbarely 12 hours after 5 Russians were abducted by gunmen from a SwedishMarine carrier, Herkules, which was on charter by Saipem, a subsidiary ofENI group.

Herkules was moving towards Akpo Oil field, operated by Saipem NigeriaLimited, when the gunmen captured it 19 nautical miles towards the shoresof Bonny. 11 Russians and one Ukrainian were aboard Herkules, but fivewere abducted.

On Friday July 25, 2008, more than a dozen gunmen in speed boatskidnapped two oil engineers, one from the Philippines and one, a Nigerianin Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State.

The victims were working for Damas Oil and Marine Services, an offshoreoil services firm, and a private security contractor in the oil industry. Thehostages are Mr. Ben P. Marciales, a Phillipino and Samuel Omoboyewa(Nigerian).

Later on Thursday July 24, 2008, gunmen also attacked an oil servicesvessel traveling from Port Harcourt towards the Akpo oilfield operated byFrance's Total.

Gangs have taken advantage of the weak security in the states, fundingthemselves through a lucrative trade in stolen crude oil and frequentlykidnapping businessmen, local politicians and expatriates for ransom.The kidnap of the oil engineers happened at a time an armed rebel group,Niger Delta Defense and Security Council (NDDSC) led by CommanderEbi Dari coordinated an attack on Cameroonian soldier's position at the

Gunmen Kidnap 2 Oil Engineers

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Bakassi Peninsular. Some Cameroonian soldiers and insurgents werereported to have been killed in the attack. Few weeks after, the area washanded over to Cameroon. CEHRD investigations revealed that there isstrong connection between the Bakassi insurgents and militants in the NigerDelta.

On Tuesday July 22, 2008, Mr. Austin Ogbobio, an accountant attached tothe governor's office in Bayelsa State was between 2:45pm and 2pm shotdead by yet-to-be identified gunmen.

CEHRD gathered that the gunmen trailed him to his newly rented apartmentalong Erepa road, at Yenizue-Gene area in the Yenogoa Local GovernmentArea of Bayelsa State.

The police couldn't provide an insight into what led to the act, but said theyare still investigating the matter.

Mike Okiro, Nigeria's Inspector-General of Police has decried the increasein the spate of commercial kidnapping in Nigeria, especially in the NigerDelta region of Nigeria, saying that it is impossible for the police to halt theact. According to him, the police cannot attach its personnel to the 140million Nigerians in the country. And that what the police can do is just toinvestigate. Before long Chief Arthur O.U. Okowa, a People's DemocraticParty (PDP) stalwart was kidnapped.

CEHRD gathered that the 76-year-old Okonwa had just returned from anearly Sunday (July 20 2008) church service at the Anglican Church at BojiBoji Owa, at about 10:30am, and was in his bedroom when his domesticworker informed him that he had some visitors. As a traditional ruler of theOwa kingdom, he asked his staff to bring into his house the visitors whowere carrying bags and said were on “business trip”.

When Okowa emerged from his bedroom the 4-men gang carrying bags and“on business trip” pulled out their guns and asked Okowa, to follow them orthey will shoot him dead. The gunmen who were lurking around the

Government HouseAccountant Murdered

Father of Delta SSG Kidnapped, N50 Million Paid as Ransom

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neighbourhood for about 6 hours tied Okowa's hands and sealed his mouthand led him into his (Okowa's) Opirus Hyundai Executive Saloon (with thebold inscription, “Ojujagbe” on the plate number), and whisked him away.Also, the gunmen tied and locked Okowa's domestic worker in one of thetoilets in the house.

The victim is the father of Chief Ifeanyi Okowa, the secretary to the DeltaState Government. The Opirus car which belongs to the victim and whichwas used for the operation, was later abandoned inAgbanke, in OrhrionwonLocal Government Area of Edo State, few kilometers way from his BojiBoji Owa home in the Ika North-East Local Government Area of DeltaState. Few hours after the kidnap of Okowa, as usual they called his son todemand for a whooping sum of $6 million as ransom. Just as the governorof Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan was boasting that his governmentwon't pay a kobo for the release of the victim. CEHRD later gathered that thesame government later paid N50 million to the kidnappers and Okowa wasreleased.

On Saturday July 5, 2008, heavily armed gunmen kidnapped Nornu Yobo,the elder brother of Joseph Yobo, the Super Eagles football star whilereturning from an all-night-party in Port Harcourt, the capital of RiversState.

Rivers State Police spokeswoman, Rita Inoma Abbey confirmed theincident to CEHRD. Few days after the kidnap incident, the Rivers StatePolice Command arrested 3 persons in connection with the abduction ofYobo's brother.

The police authority in the state claim that Nornu was threatened by the 3suspects over a plot of land belonging to Joseph Yobo in Port Harcourt,which was allocated to him by Dr. Peter Odili, ex-governor of Rivers State.

CEHRD could not establish whether those who threatened Nornu earlier arethe same gang who kidnapped him and were demanding for ransom.CEHRD reliably gathered that 5 million naira was paid before Nornu wasset off his kidnapper's nook.

Nornu,Yobo's Brother Kidnapped

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Lawmaker's Father Kidnapped

30 Gunmen Kill Soldier, Kidnap German Workers

“I thought it was war. The market was about starting I thought theywere military people. It was like war. They came in 3 buses, broad-cested men. I was afraid. I am still afraid because of what I saw. I triedto run but I fell down and lay in my market stall until the shootingended”.

On Saturday July 19, 2008, Pa Cornelius Ihunwo, the father of Hon. VictorIhunwo, a member of the Rivers State House ofAssembly representing PortHarcourt constituency was kidnapped by gunmen on the eve of Victor'swedding.

Pa Ihunwo was seized from his Wobo street residence in Port Harcourt bythe commercial kidnappers. He was released after ransom was paid.Though, CEHRD couldn't determine how much was paid to the kidnappers.

On Friday July 11, 2008, about 8:30am, 30 gunmen in military fatiguesarmed to their teeth with General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG) andAK47 riffles stormed Julius Berger camp at Rumaji community located inthe Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers State. The gunmen whoarrived the area in 3 vanagon volkswagen buses shortly after 3 Germanworkers working for the Julies Berger, a German construction companycame in and rained bullets sporadically and consistently; an eye witness toldour monitor.

CEHRD gathered that before the arrival of the gunmen, a commercial taxicab with no persenger except the driver had arrived and parked some wherenear the company's camp and was alleged to have been making phone callsfrom his private cell phone there. The driver was there until the ransom-demanding kidnappers shot dead a soldier attached there and seized theGerman hostages.

The Julius Berger affected site is located near the Rumuji Divisional PoliceStation and an over-crowded market. Narrating the incident to CEHRD inPidgin English, Mrs. Stella Nwabueze, a trader at the Rumuji market said,

49-years-old Nwabueze revealed. The above is a translated version of her

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interview.

The Rivers State Police Spokewoman, Mrs. Rita Inoma-Abbey confirmedthe incident.Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, spokesman of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the stateconfirmed the attack, corroborated the police account that the armed menabandoned one of the buses and escaped into the mangrove swamp of thedelta. Shortly after the incident, the kidnappers reportedly called thecompany and demand N32 million ransom before releasing the kidnappedexpatriates. CEHRD also gathered that though the incident took place inRivers State, the German hostages were kept in Bayelsa.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) later saidthey will facilitate the release of the abducted Germans, MEND JomoGbomo said in an online statement made available to CEHRD. Like anyarmed groups anywhere who raise money to fund their struggleunconventionally, CEHRD believes that some of these kidnappings musthave been stage-managed by MEND to fund their insurrectionarycampaigns in the delta.

The German firm is constructing the Rivers State wing of the East/WestRoad, re-awarded by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2007.Following the kidnap saga, the company withdrew its workers from all itssites across the Niger Delta in protest. But, recently after muchpleadingbftjhvvgs, it (the company) promised to return to their sites tocontinue their construction works.

The Jakpa community in the Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta Stateis no longer at peace following a rebellion put up by some youths of thecommunity who said they worked as thugs for the ruling People DemocraticParty (PDP) and that the same party they worked for now disbanded them.

During the Local Government Council Election which was held in May,2008, the Jakpa community was a flash point of electoral violence, killingsand hijack of electoral materials. The new council Chairman who emergedout of that process recently disbanded a youth group in the Jakpa

Violence Swallows Jakpa Community

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community. The youth group said they were used by politicians to get topower, only for them to disband them, and enlisted the service of anotheryouth group who never worked for them.

The scenario degenerated into bloody violence between the disbanded oneand the patronized group. The crisis has resulted into burning down ofhouses, wanton looting and rape by the warring restive Youths who freelyusedAK47 riffles and explosive against one another.

Meanwhile, JTF had deployed heavily armed soldiers to the Jakpacommunity to put a stop to the violence. Major O. Ochagwaba confirms theincident and subsequent deployment of troop to CEHRD.

It is a common practice during elections among the political elites in theNiger Delta region and other parts of Nigeria to recruit, train and arm youthsto do their election biddings, only to turn around and abandon their thugsafter the election. Most of these youths end up constituting themselves ascriminal bands-sea pirates, armed robbers, kidnappers, etc.

A couple Resident in Port Harcourt had their right to life violently crushedby a gang of killers armed with automatic riffles. The sad incident whichthrew the residents of Chukwunka Street, Rumuigbo, Port Harcourt intoagonies, fear and confusion, occurred on Tuesday August 26, 2008 at about10:30pm. The couple, identified as Samuel and Maria from Abia State butresided in Port Harcourt was sent to their early graves when the killer gangof three gunmen believed to be hired assassins paid them an unscheduledvisit at their residence in Rumuigbo, Port Harcourt. The gun men walkedaway undisturbed after successfully executing their victims and haveremained at large. The motive for the murder is yet to be known as at presstime.

Police sources have disclosed that although the assassins are yet to beapprehended, the police are on their trail and are hell-bent on capturingthem.

The remains of the slain couple who are from Abia State, South-East of

Assassins Murder Man, Wife

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Nigeria, have been deposited at the mortuary in Port Harcourt awaitingburial.

In the early hours of Monday September 22, 2008, yet-to-be identifiedgunmen broke into a grocery shop operated in Kpite community in the TaiLocal Government Area of Rivers State by Mr. Deebari Mabani, a 26-year-old Kpite native, secondary school leaver and trader after dismantling aprotector on one of the windows and shot him dead. Deebari's corpse wasdeposited at the General Hospital in Bori, the headquarters of the KhanaLocal GovernmentArea of Rivers state.

The victim is the son of Patrick Nteptep, a former councilor in the defunctTai/Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State; CEHRD could notestablish why the poor 26-year-old Deebari was killed. Did the deceasedhave a disagreement with any one or group that led to his death? Did heknow one of those who broke into his shop when they swooped on him?

With dangerous SmallArms and Light Weapon (SALW) out of control in thedelta region and a terrible state of insecurity, Kpite community where theviolence took place has been a flashpoint of armed electoral violence inseveral elections. The police in the area confirmed the incident to CEHRD,and said they are working in conjunction with the JTF to track down theculprits.

On Saturday September 6, 2008, at about 2:00am heavily armed gunmenstormed the Kalaibiama community in the Opobo/Nkoro Local GovernmentArea of Rivers State and kidnapped Chief Nobel Diri to an unknowndestination.

Alabo Nobel Diri is a wealthy popular community leader. He was taken fromhis home at Kalaibiama and the kidnappers later contacted the victim'sfamily. Diri, the Opobo high Chief, a pharmacist with the Rivers Stateowned Braithwaite Memorial Hospital was later released after moneyexchanged hands, though the victim and his family members denied everpaying any ransom to the commercial kidnappers.

Assassins Kill 26-Year-Old Deebari Mabani in Kpite

Noble Diri Kidnapped at Kalaibiama

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Samuel Okwa, The Icelander Chief inAndoniArrested.

Gunmen Overrun Okoroba Community, one Dead, 15 Injured.

On Tuesday September 2, 2008, Samuel Okwa, a 35-year-old chieftain ofthe Icelander (German) Confraternity in the Andoni Local GovernmentArea of Rivers State was nabbed by security operatives at the venue of theRivers state Local Government Election petition tribunal sitting in PortHarcourt.

Okwa, who completed his secondary education from GovernmentSecondary School in Asarama in the Andoni Local Government Area in1994, hails from Unyeada town in the same area. He is an active member ofthe People's Democratic Party (PDP) and his Icelander cult has beenresponsible for a lot of bloody violence which soak theAndoni area.

Following the arrest of the Icelander cult leader, heavily armed soldiers laterraid Asarama, Unyeada and Ajakakak village communities where the cultcells exist. During the security operation in the poor community, withoutproper and correct intelligence information, innocent villagers were torturedand harassed. CEHRD is gravely concerned about this.

CEHRD investigations revealed that Samuel Okwa was at several timesfunded by PDP politicians in the area. Icelander is a street/creek cult whichstarted in 2001 with financial and political support from the thengovernment of Sir Dr. Peter Odili in Rivers State. Tom Ateke is one of thefounders of the Icelander.

On Friday September 5, 2008, heavily armed gunmen in seven speed boatsattacked the Okoroba community in the Nembe Local Government Area ofBayelsa State. Over 15 persons were fatally injured as a result ofindiscriminate gunshots. The victims include Chief Bihabo Andrew Inkowho was abducted and taken to an unknown destination by the rampagingirate gunmen. Others wounded are Benjamin Egberi, of the OkorobaCommunity Development Committee (CDC); Awudun Youpele Levi andTopman Nuoyefa. One person was killed instantly during the attack.

Trouble started in the community few days before the incident when a youthof the Okoroba community allegedly stole 3 hunting dogs and the sum of

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Twenty one thousand one hundred and fifty naira (N21, 150) from a femaleteacher in the community, right from her house.

The community's practice outlaws stealing, and the boy was arrested andflogged at the village town square. The disgraced youth later fled thecommunity to Oruma, his father's hometown in the Ogbia LocalGovernmentArea of Bayelsa state. Community people told CEHRD that thedisgraced boy was not banished from the Okoroba community and that heleft because he was ashamed.

The mother of the affected youth was extremely bitter. She latermisinformed her elder brother that his younger brother was killed. The elderbrother who have links with armed groups in the area mobilized hiscolleagues in arms and carried out the attack. Okoroba community is thehome town of Oronto Natai Douglas, the ex-commissioner for informationto the Bayelsa State government under Chief (Dr.) Diepreye Alamieseighe,and currently special aide on research and documentation to the Vice-President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebelo Jonathan.

About 2:30pm on Thursday September 1, 2008, CEHRD investigationsrevealed that kidnappers had lodged in the Landmark Hotels and posed asguests. They later kidnapped Mr. Humphrey Olaka, the assistant generalmanager of the hotel owned by his brother who is a member of the FederalHouse of Representatives representing Eleme/Oyigbo/Tai constituency.Kidnapped along side Olaka was Chief Harry Onugwe.

The victims were taken from the hotel and escaped through Iwofe jettylocated on the southern axis of Port Harcourt into the creeks. Securityofficials told CEHRD that the hostages were taken through a forest aroundBukuma and Tombia. They said they monitored the kidnappers through apolice helicopter. The victims were later released after ransom was paid.Few hours after, a police team rescued Azubike Nmerikini, the chairman ofPort Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State who was kidnapped.The kidnappers had abducted the council boss when the police battled themand rescued the hostage.

Police Rescued Port Harcourt Local Government Boss, 2 kidnapped

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Prof. Fakae Seized By 6 GunmenOn Sunday September 21, 2008, 6 gunmen wielding AK 47 riffles andpistols, after firing wild gun shots intercepted a Rover Jeep carryingProfessor Barineme B. Fakae, the Vice-Chancellor of the Rivers StateUniversity of Science and Technology (RSUST), and his 3 children at BunuBagha community junction in the Khana Local Government Area of RiversState at about 5:30pm. The professor of Animal Science was whisked awaythrough the Kono/Opobo waterfront to an unknown destination in thecreeks, while his children were abandoned.

The police public relations officer in Rivers State, Mrs. Rita Inoma-Abbey, adeputy superintendent of police confirmed the kidnap incident to CEHRD.The military spokesperson in Rivers State, Col. Musa Sagir, also confirmedthe incident, and issued a public statement. Sagir said, “I can confirm that thevice chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technologywas abducted at about 5:30pm at Bunu Bagha community in Khana LocalGovernment Area. While we appeal to members of the Universitycommunity and the general public to remain calm, we wish to state that theJTF under the leadership of Brigadiar General Sarkin Yarkin Bello isdetermined to ensuring the protection of the lives and property of thecitizens, visitors and those doing business in the state. We are alsointensifying efforts to locate the VC and effect his release after he was takento the creeks through Kono-Opobo waterfront”.

At the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST),Nkpolu, Port Harcourt, the various academic and non-academic unions metfollowing the kidnap of their vice-chancellor and condemned the act. Theyalso suspended all academic activities in the school until further notice.CEHRD visited the university on Tuesday September 23, 2008 at about9:30am; all the institutions major gates were under lock and key, whilevehicular and human movements to and from the school campus wererestricted by stern-looking security operatives.Fakae was released after ransom of about N50 million was paid to thekidnappers, though government continue to deny that it never paid any kobofor his release. A security official revealed to CEHRD about the ransompayment.

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6 Filipinos Kidnapped in Bonny

Cult Clash Claims the Life of Sunny

On Monday October 4, 2008, heavily armed gunmen kidnapped 6 Filipinosin a vessel called MV Avero off the coast of Bonny in Rivers State. The seavessel was attacked around 6:30am. The crew members, all Filipinos onboard, include the captain, 2 engineers, Chief Officer and two able-bodiedseamen.

On same Monday October 4, 2008, two other hostages earlier seized Mr.David Melford, a Briton and Mrs. Panla Magani, wife of a staff of theNigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) were released separately.

Three students of a private school run by the wife of a former deputygovernor in the state were also kidnapped. The police told CEHRD that thekidnappers gained entrance into the school compound on Woji Road in PortHarcourt where they were kidnapped by rampaging gun-wielding men.They were later released after money exchanged hands.

On Monday October 6, 2008, members of twosome cult groups, Eiyee andMan-Fight clashed at about 6:00pm in the Isoko North Local GovernmentArea of Delta State, which led to the death of Sunny, a 26-year-oldelectrician from Rivers State.

The deceased was a staff of Mark-Co Electrical Nigeria Limited; he hailsfrom one of the Ikwerre communities in Rivers State. Mr. Anthony Ezendu,a colleague of the deceased spoke to CEHRD at Irri community. “I learntthat man-Fight and Eiyee, both cult groups were fighting at an eveningmarket called Yanka. We were on a motorbike going to Irri when stray bulletfrom one of the groups hit Sunny and he died instantly. We are not membersof any of the groups. We had returned from Ugheli where we went to doelectrical installation for a client at the village. When we finished his job hetook us to a bank there to collect money from hisATM account which he wasnot successful, he later dropped us at the Oleh motor park where we took amotorbike to return to Irri to spend the night, Sunny was so unlucky. He waskilled; my bike was just closer to him”.

The rival cult groups were armed with cutlasses and different brands of

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sophisticated guns like locally made pistols and AK47s. CEHRD alsogathered that scores of innocent persons sustained various degrees of bulletwounds. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the area, Mr.Amman Sale Rigan confirmed the incident and said they were already on topof the matter. The corpse of the victim was deposited at the Oleh generalhospital mortuary.

Eiyee is a campus-based cult formed in western Nigeria around late 1970s,while man-Fight is another notorious street gangs founded around early2000 around Delta State. But, Eiyee like other campus based cult groups hasextended their recruitment, membership and activities beyond the campusesto the streets.

On Thursday, October 16, 2008, two kidnap incidents took place in the PortHarcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State. Five heavily armed menstormed timber market at Diobu and kidnapped three timber traders. One ofthe victims is Mr. Job Obire, the chairman of timber traders association. Thekidnappers escaped with the hostages into the creeks.

In a separate incident, four gunmen stormed the house of Mr. FredIruanyenama, who owns Smart publishing House. Iruanyenama house islocated about 20 metres away from the mile one divisional policeheadquarters. CEHRD gathered that as police officers on duty heard thebarking of bullets from the kidnappers' guns they switched off all thelighting point at the station and ran into hiding.

Mrs. Rita Inoma-Abbey, Rivers State police spokeswoman confirmed theabove two separate kidnap incidents and appealed to members of the publicto co-operate with the police in their fight against criminals through theprovision of useful information.

On Wednesday October 15, 2008, scores of militants armed with GeneralMulti Purpose Machine Gun (GMPMGs), AK47, sub-machine guns,dynamites, charms and amulets clashed with equally armed soldiers of theJoint Task Force (JTF) operation flush out III near the Nigeria Liquefied

GunmenAbduct Timber Merchants, Publisher

Soldiers, Militants Killed in a MajorAttack in Bonny Island

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Natural Gas (NLNG) terminal in Bonny Island in the Bonny LocalGovernmentArea of Rivers State.

CEHRD gathered that the armed group wanted to launch a surprise attack onthe troops there comprising navy, police, air force, SSS, army personnel totake their weapons and snatch some gunboats and there was an intense gunbattle. Two of the militants' speed boats were sunk and its occupantsdrowned. Four of the boats escaped, as 7 of the militants were killed while,one soldier lost his life.

MEND, the main militant association denied involvement of his fighters inthe attack. The militants were said to be part of a budding armed grouparound the Bonny area. The military authority confirmed the incident JTFspokesperson, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa in a press release said, “We alsorecovered one GPMG, one AK47, one sub-machine gun and assortedammunitions and dynamites”.

In late October 2008, a group which called itself Bakassi Freedom Fighters(BFF), and members of the Niger Delta Defense and Security Council(NDDSC) kidnapped 10 oil workers including 6 French nationals 2Cameroonians, one Tunisian and one Senegalese were kidnapped from avessel off the coast of Cameroon.

BFF, led by Ebi Dari and the group is based at the Bakassi Pennisular whichwas ceded to Cameroon in August 2008, had threatened to kill the hostages,but later said in an online message it distributed that, “we are not going to killthem. We have changed our mind after a meeting,” The Bakassi grouplaunched devastating attacks in June and July 2008 on an out post ofCameroonian troops killing 7 of them and a local. BFF is opposed to theceding of the oil-rich Bakassi peninsular. Ebi Dari, BFF's spokesman furthersaid, “There is no deadline any more. But we will not release them until weget what we want; talks with the Cameroonian government. We want to seethem; we want to speak with them”.

Nigeria handed over the Bakassi Peninsular to Cameroon in August 2008after a ruling by the international court of justice brought to an end a 15-year

Niger Delta-Bakassi Group Kidnap 10 Oil Workers

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dispute over the peninsular including the rights to its oil fields and fishinggrounds. The hand over was peaceful, but armed groups and unarmed localsopposed the change of soveireignty and threatened attacks.

CEHRD investigations revealed that Bakassi Freedom Fighters (BFF) is asmall armed group linked to the Niger Delta Defence and Security Council(NDDSC) which is also linked to victor-Ben Ebikabowei, popularly calledBoyloaf, a senior commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of theNiger Delta (MEND) in the central delta and Farah Dagogo Ipallibo, anothersenior MEND Commander in the eastern delta. NDDSC is said to havemasterminded the attacks in June and July 2008 on the Cameroonian troopsposition; their killings and seizure of the weapons and hardwares.

On Tuesday October 21, 2008, Chinoso, 9 years old and her younger sisterUchechi, 7 years old, both daughters of Mr. Ajanaku, a senior official of theShell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) were kidnapped fromtheir school gate located along Peter Odili Road in the Abulomaneighbourhood in Port Harcourt by gunmen numbering about 5 in a tintedglasses, black spot utility vehicle (SUV).

The police command in Rivers State confirmed the kidnap of the helplessgirls to CEHRD, and said they have placed their men on the watch out for thevictims with an aim of rescuing them and arresting the criminals. Thecommercial kidnappers took the hostages to an unknown destination.

They were later released after payment of ransom by the victims' parents,though they denied to have ever paid any amount. With guns out of control,kidnapping and ransom demand has been on the increase. The victims arestudents of Day and Infant Nursery Spring School located at 22 GospelAvenue,Abuloma.

On October 16, 2008, 6-year-old Collins Roberts, son of EbidawowaiRoberts, an accountant with the Bayelsa state treasury office of the Ministryof Finance was kidnapped by a gang led by Shola Taiwo Saka and FemiOkunola from the boy's home at Amarata axis in the Yenagoa Local

Gunmen Kidnap Two Sisters

Pastor Bassey, Sola Demi kidnapped 6-year-old Collins Roberts

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Government Area of Bayelsa State. The victim was moved to a hideoutarranged by Pastor Bassey Archibong, the head of Psalm 26 InternationalChurch based in Port Harcourt.

The kidnappers demanded for a whooping sum of N50million as ransombefore the boy would be released. The Shola who led the kidnap of littleCollins Roberts is a family friend of the Roberts family. When Roberts'sfather couldn't meet the N50 million demands, the kidnapper later scaleddown their demand.

Luck ran out on the kidnappers when the victims paid some money, and Solaand his men who had promised to pay the pastor 5 million naira laterchanged their minds. The initiator of the plot told the pastor that sinceCollins did no pay the expected N50 million they will be coming to thepastor to pick up their victim from the pastor's custody. The man of God wasangry after keeping the boy for 8 days and he won't be paid any money.The clergy man angrily took the boy to the police in Port Harcourt whoseofficers later arrested him (pastor) and took him to Yenagoa, the capital ofBayelsa State where others were arrested by the police. Collins, the captivewas able to identify his lead captor, Shola. The commercial kidnappers arestill in police custody inYenagoa.

On October 25, 2008, chief Moses Irimisose, the vice-chairman of the DeltaState chapter of Host Communities of Nigeria (HOSTCOM) was kidnappedby a 5-man armed gang from his office along PTI road in Effurun in WarriDelta State.

The police in Delta State confirmed the incident. On November 2, 2008, thevictim was released unhurt, shortly after his group, HOSTCOM held ameeting and threatened, “We do not want to subscribe to the belief that therecent suit being instituted by Urohobo against the Delta State Oil ProducingArea Development Commission (DESOPADEC) has generated this uglyevent. We are desirous of peace in the polity since we are capable ofdestabilizing the existing harmonious environment being enjoyed by all inthe state”.

62-year-old Moses Irimisose Kidnapped

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Godwin T. Omamogbo and Asite, Simon, chairman and secretaryrespectively of HOSTCOM, who signed the press statement, also issued a48-hour ultimatum, not long after that Irimisose was released.

In the early hours of Monday, November 3, 2998, unknown gunmen in aMazda 626 car, kidnapped a Lebanese national working for HumanEngineering Company. The victim was supervising the on-going roadconstruction work at Owhipa axis of Choba town in the Obio/Akpor LocalGovernmentArea of Rivers State, which his firm is handling.

Eyewitness told CEHRD that the gunmen came in a colour Mazda 626above with a Lagos registration number, pulled to a halt as the rampaginggun zoomed out and fired wild gun shots sporadically in the air. CEHRDgathered that one person was hit by the kidnapper's stray bullet, amidst theattendant confusion, the gunmen abducted the Lebanese worker, abandonedthe Mazda car, and escaped with the Lebanese national with another vehicle.

Meanwhile, the main militant group, Movement for the Emancipation of theNiger Delta (MEND) said their fighters were not involved in the kidnap, butpledged to assist in the release of the construction worker.

The kidnapper of the Lebanese was greeted with serious criticism becausethe victim is working for a construction company in the state. Lt. Col. MusaSagir, Spokesperson for the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in Rivers Statecondemned the act, “How can people yearning for development continue tokidnap those working for the good of society. The motive is pecuniary andno group has claimed responsibility yet. Security agencies have been alertedand charged to work towards rescuing the victim and apprehend theculprits”

In the Niger delta region of Nigeria, there are scores of armed groups that areformed and operate mainly as a criminal band, this different from some thatare militant groups. In terms of the membership and composition of some ofthe groups, even those that are now Niger Delta natives belong too. MENDlater said it located where the victim was held and released him. TheLebanese citizen has been released, CEHRD can confirm this.

GunmenAbduct Lebanese Construction Worker

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Zenith Bank manager Kidnapped

Shell Workers Kidnapped in Bayelsa, Delta

On Sunday, November 2, 2008, gunmen seized Mr. Patrick Akoroja, amanger of the Zenith Bank Plc, Omoku branch in Ogba/Egbema/NdoniLGA of Rivers state. Zenith bank is one of the new generation banks inNigeria.

On Tuesday, November 4, 2008, the Movement for the Emancipation of theNiger Delta (MEND) issued a public statement which it circulated widely online that MEND's commando unit rescued Mr. Melad Nasari, a Lebanesewho is a worker of Homan Engineering Company, a construction firm.Nasari was kidnapped on Monday, November 3, 2008. MEND Spokesman,Jomo Gbomo said it will “assist in the rescue of Nasari where his abductorshas kept him in a bush as purely a good will gesture and not a move to parleywith the government in any way”.

MEND Gbomo said that “During the course of the operation, they heard afrantic shout for help from an individual who introduced himself as PatrickAkorodu, a manager with Zenith bank, Omoku branch in Rivers State. Hesaid he was a victim of the criminal gang that abducted the Lebanesenational”. He further said both men are in the safe custody of our men and arenow en route to the drop off zone where they will be handed to contacts fromthe State security Services (SSS)”

Patrick Akorodu, the victim who was kidnapped at his residence at EagleIsland in Port Harcourt by heavily armed kidnappers disappeared with himthrough the waterways. CEHRD can't confirm whether ransom was paid ornot. However, CEHRD is extremely worried about the massive proliferationof arms and groups misusing them. Armed groups (non state armed groups)always raise money to fund their activities through unconstitutional means,and one reasons that sometimes that MEND as a non-state armed group thathas undertaken kidnap several times can also kidnap people and claim torescue them. The negative consequences of these, is what CEHRD fears. ButMEND claims that it does not kidnap children, elderly people etc except oilworkers who are critical to the resolution of the Niger delta impasse.

On Sunday November 2, 2008, heavily armed gunmen in a dark blue

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Mercedes Benz 190 E car trailed two workers of the Shell Petroleumdevelopment company (SPDC) from Port Harcourt, the Capital of Riversstate to the Okordia/Zarama road in the Yenegoa Local government area ofBayelsa State and kidnapped them.

CEHRD obtained the full identities of the kidnapped workers from thePolice command in Bayelsa State. The victims are Mr. Michael Obikaun andMrs. Favour Dappah of the inspectorate division of SPDC in Port Harcourt.The Police Spokesperson in Bayelsa State, Mr. Iniobong Ibokette confirmedthe incident.

On Friday, November 1, 2008, 3 Staff of Shell facility at Uzere communityin the Isoko South Local GovernmentArea of Delta State were abducted.However, CEHRD's findings can't actually establish this to be a kidnap caselike the one above. Prior to the incident the Uzere community and SPDCwere rocked is a conflict over a N150 million compensation to the poorcommunity.

Those who spoke to CEHRD in the area said Shell has a bad companypolluting their environment and treating the locals with utter disregard. TheDelta State Police Command seems not interested in arresting those whoabducted the Shell officials. They were released to the police. Delta StatePolice Spokesman, Charles Muka confirmed the release of the officials toCEHRD.At the time of the incident, the Delta State House ofAssembly wasinvestigating the activities of SPDC in the State.

On Wednesday, November 5, 2008, gunmen invaded the quite home of Rev.G.AGborogbosi at the Barako community in the Gokana Local GovernmentArea of Rivers state and took the aged and frail looking retired MethodistClergyman to unknown destination.

The gunmen who were said to be 6 in number broke into the Barako house ofthe man with a hard object and took the man from his sleep around 2:00am.The divisional police headquarters in Kpor, the headquarters of the GokanaLocal GovernmentArea confirmed the abduction of the poor clergy and saidthey don't know the intention of the kidnappers, saying that the Gborogbosi

Retired Methodist Clergy Kidnapped in Gokana

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is a poor man.

On Thursday, November 6, 2008, heavily armed youths and naval officialsclashed at Basambiri Community, the home town of Chief Timipre Sylva,the governor of Bayelsa State which led to the death of 4 naval officials, Mr.Dennis Kupkup, a Worker of the Shell Petroleum Development Company(SPDC) and five youths who hailed from the Basambiri in the Nembe LocalGovernmentArea of Bayelsa State.

Aresident of the Basambiri community who called CEHRD office to informabout the incident revealed that the local government election was billed tohold earlier, and that the governor had chosen a candidate. And that thefavoured candidate of the government while campaigning had mobilized anaval unit in the area, to maintain “peace” during the electioneeringcampaign. A rival candidate had mobilized armed youths too and as thefavoured candidate concluded his campaign to leave the area with the navalentourage, the youth landed attack on the naval team.

Four naval officials in the boat were killed instantly, a shell official also losthis life, while 5 of the rampaging youths were also killed when naval officersreturned fire and scores of naval officials killed.

Commodore David Nabaiga, the director of naval informations confirmedto CEHRD about the incident, “There were casualties on both sides after ourmen returned fire following the attack by youths”. A community youthsuspected to be one of the armed warring Basambiri faction who said hisname shouldn't be mentioned told CEHRD in Yenegoa, the capital ofBayelsa State, “They want to impose their candidate on us and intimidate uswith their navy. The navy should go and bury their bodies we have buriedours. More shall die if they don't change their ways”.

In the wake of the blood bath, CEHRD gathered that the governor of theState, Sylva who also hails from the violence ridden community and theBasambiri council of chiefs called an urgent meeting of all male children ofthe community above 18 (excluding women), to discuss how to restorepeace in a place wreck by criminal and violent politics where gangs and their

4 Naval Officers, Shell Worker, 5 others Killed in Attack in Nembe

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sponsors hold sway.

CEHRD sympathy is with the poor Basambiri locals who are always thevictims of violence and bad politics and policies.

Also, in a different incident, gunmen suspected to be militants in 3speedboats same Thursday, November 6, 2008, attacked a military unitguarding a Chevron oil facility at Robertkiri in the Degema LocalGovernment Area of Rivers State killing an army and a naval official whilethe gunmen escape unhurt. The Spokesman for the Joint Task Force (JTF),Lt. Col. Musa Sagir confirmed the incident, he said, “The attack did notaffect the Chevron facility, no group claim responsibility for the attack”.

Same day, militants in 20 speedboats attacked JTF location at Clough Creekin the Ekeremor Local GovernmentArea of Bayelsa State killing civilian.CEHRD can't confirm whether the incidents are related to one another.

In the early parts of November, 2008, CEHRD was exclusively informed ofthe opening of a new camp by John Togo, a militant leader in the Niger Deltaregion of Nigeria.

Togo is another warlord on the watching list of the Joint Task Force (JTF)due to his alleged violent activities along the Delta State waterways.CEHRD investigators reliably gathered that John Togo recently receivedfrom monetary and material (guns) support from Boyloaf, a popular militialeader and senior commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of theNiger Delta (MEND) in the central delta, to set up the camp.

Militia source told CEHRD that MEND command encourage the setting upof the camp by John Togo so that when order is given to carry out violencethe western delta will participate too. The setting up of the camp hadreportedly angered Tompolo, another senior MEND commander in thewestern delta region who has been receiving massive patronage from theDelta State government.

Just as the tension generated by John Togo had hardly settled down who had

MEND Opens Camps in Delta State, Threatens more Violence

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vowed to make delta state ungovernable so as to receive the largesse ofmilitancy that the state governor pays Tompolo, MEND issued a fresh threatto launch operation, “Hurricane Obama” and return to the trenches to wageanother oil war. The JTF had in a public statement accused Boyloaf, of beingbehind the abduction of two Crewmen from the Borifish Hercules Vesselbelonging to Offshore Nigeria Limited. Boyloaf couldn't deny this, butwhen JTF secret planned a reprisal attack on some camps in the delta, theplan leaked to MEND and it threatened to further destroy oil pipelines andfacilities in the delta.

On Sunday, November 16, 2008, hordes of heavily armed gunmensuspected to come from Tompolo's camp hijacked a vessel conveying oilmaterials to the Escravos Gas-to-Liguid (EGIZ) project. The vessel captainand 10 crew members kidnapped. The vessel code-namedwas on its way from Warri, Delta State to Singapore when the armedmilitants struck along the turbulent Escravos creeks. The same group of iratemilitants who hijacked the oil vessels was said to be responsible for theblowing up of a pipeline belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited at Abiteyecommunity. CEHRD gathered that the oil vessel was held at Okerenkokocommunity in the Warri South West Local Government. Though, acommunity leader from Okerenkoko denied that the MV Galaxy Tour, isdetained at his Okerenkoko community, the denial is just to avail anymilitary reprisal. The military authority in Delta state corroborated the storyand boasted that if dialogue fails they will use force to rescue the vessel andits occupants.

CEHRD was told by a militant there that the action was to protest against thearrest of a vessel suspected to carry bunkered oil off the coast of Escravos.The cargo registered as allegedly took delivery stolen crude oilfrom an oil field in the area when naval sea patrol craft from the navalcommand in warri intercepted them. The which had 12, 500tonnes of crude oil and 21 Filipinos on it. They were arrested and detained.CEHRD also gathered that the vessel is official registered as ,while the inscription on it is “MTAKUA”

Shortly after the interception of the vessel and arrest of its occupants in themorning hours, in the later part of the day was the hijack of the

MV Galaxy Tour

MTAkuada

MT Akuada

MT Akuada

Galaxy Tour

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and attack onAbiteye Chevron facility in retaliation.Also these took place in an area (the Warri South West Local GovernmentArea) under Tompolos' control.

It was later revealed to CEHRD that the Delta State government and otherssettled the matter by giving the militants some money and Galaxy Tour andits occupants were released.

On Saturday, November 8, Mrs. Accruere Lily Benamiasia, the mother ofchief Joshua Benemiasia the former coordinator of the Bayelsa Volunteers,the state government-owned outfit was kidnapped by heavily armedgunmen from herAsamabiri community in the Sagbama Local GovernmentArea of Bayelsa State.

The gunmen who invaded her home in the early hours of that Saturday shot awoman in the compound in the leg before taking their victim to a waitingboat. The aged woman was later whisked away.

CEHRD gathered that a tip off from some locals to the police from theBayelsa state Command led to the invasion of the kidnapper's hideout wherethe woman was kept in a forest somewhere in Odi in the Kolo KumaOpokuma Local GovernmentArea of bayelsa State. She was released by thepolice. Mr. Abayomi Akerelemale, the State Deputy Commissioner ofPolice in the State confirmed the rescue of the 74-year-old Accraere toCEHRD in Yenegoa and said no ransom was paid before the victim wasreleased.

CEHRD spoke to the victim after her release in her native Ijaw dialect. Thisis the translated version of her interview in English.

.

74-Year-Old Mrs. Benamiasia Kidnapped

“As they dragged me into a boat at the waterside they blind folded myeyes, I can't remember any where we passed, but I know we were in aboat and we later found ourselves in a forest. Even when I was hungryand I told them that I am hungry they did not give me food untilpolicemen came and take me away”

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The police later arrested Oti Chub, a relation of the kidnapped woman andDaddyboy Tikobai as suspected kidnappers of the Septuagenarian woman.

On Tuesday, November 11, 2008, gunmen stormed the entrance to thesprawling house of Mr. Chuks Ihuoma, Deputy General Manger of theIntergrated Logistic Services Limited (INTEL) in the RumuibekweHousing Estate in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State and shot himdead.

Police source told CEHRD that the gunmen arrived the victim's house atabout 9:30pm and called him on his mobile phone and when he was drivinghis car out without his usual police security details, the murderous squad hithim dead with theirAK47 riffles at close range.

After shooting him, the gunmen left without removing anything from him.He was later taken to a hospital where doctor confirmed him dead. CEHRDwas told that the deceased's wife has just been delivered of a set of twinbabies.

The Rivers State Police Command confirmed the incident and said the slainChuks Ihuoma had just resumed work after his annual vacation in Londonwith his family. The deceased was a lawyer.

With assorted types of guns and those proliferating them being out ofcontrol, the greatest fear nowadays is the fear of not being killed in cross firebetween the Soldiers of the Joint Task Force (JTF) and armed bands orarmed gangs fighting one another in the struggle for territory control orsupremacy. In mid November, 2008, corpses of youths flooded the creeks ofthe ancient Sangana town in the Akassa Kingdom in the Brass LocalGovernmentArea of Bayelsa State.

Boats of Sangana vigilante Youth patrolling the waterways came under abloody and vicious attack from some militants who were also patrolling thecreeks. Military sources confirmed that 14persons died instantly in the gunattack from the Sangana Vigilante who were taken unawares. Sadly, therewas a burial ceremony going on in the community.

INTELS Boss Assassinated in Port Harcourt

14 Killed in Violent attack in Sangana Creek

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CEHRD gathered that tension was building up in the riverine community asscores of Sangana youths were mobilizing for a revenge attack. The actualcause of the attack is not know yet.

On Sunday, November 16, 2008, at about 11:00pm (in the night) gunmendressed in police uniforms and heavily armed stormed Kaduna Street byFruit Garden junction in Port Harcourt in Rivers state and shot dead 3 mobilepolice officers and took their AK47 assault riffles away with 30 rounds oflive ammunition. Sadly too, a contractor Staff with the Italian Oil servicingcompany Saipem also lost his life.

For sometime now, police had raised a checkpoint at the Kaduna Street.An eye-witness, Mr. Collins Nwako who said he was at the nearby CatholicChurch gate told CEHRD,

CEHRD obtained the names of the murdered policemen, the unluckySaipem worker and the police officer who narrowly escaped the bullets ofthe gunmen. The victims are Mr. Ogidi Linus, Constables Yinka Tidinkpaand sergeant Sunday Okon, they were attached to the 48 Squadron of theMobile Police Force (MPF) base in Ahoada, a semi urban area in theAhoada-East Local Government Area, several miles away from PortHarcourt. One wonders what they were doing at a checkpoint in PortHarcourt before the met their death. while Constable E. Ipali, was lucky tohave escaped when the gunmen struck. He was able to narrate the story. Mr.Nekorsia Nyobana, a native of Buan community in Khana LocalGovernment Area, a contract staff working with Saipem Nigeria Limited, afinal year Part-time student of the Department of Marketing of the RiversState University of Science and Technology (RSUST) Nkpolu was killed in

5 Policemen, One Saipem Worker Killed by Gunmen in Rivers

“When the gunmen arrived they seem to have been fully prepared. Outof the four policemen there only one escaped. These armed menpumped bullets into the police officer, I don't know how the otherperson (Mr. Nekorsia Nyobana) was killed, because I saw as vehiclesaround ran when they heard the gunshots. No vehicle was coming. Isuspect that guy was killed by irate police officers who just stormed thearea and started shooting indiscriminately after their colleagues werekilled”.

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a rather complicated circumstance.

On Friday, November 14, 2008, policemen accompanying members of theRivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) who were on tourof the state government project in the Opobo/Nkoro Local GovernmentAreaof Rivers State were shot dead and scores of civilian wounded along theOpobo/Nkoro waterways by gunmen. The deceased policemen were of thePolice Marine Waterways Division in the State. CEHRD has been criticizingRSSDAdevelopment approach, of touring the poor rural villages in the statelike a political rally, where all sort of heavily armed security operatives andflashy cars, boats etc accompanying such attention seeking movement. Theagency must show some level of sincere and serious commitment todevelopment which should be people oriented rather than this flagrantdisplay of money that the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency(RSSDA) is doing.

However, CEHRD further learnt that the gunmen who were said to havedressed in military uniforms were hired assassins looking for MacleanUranta, the Chairman of the Opobo/Noro Local Government Area of RiversState. They had laid ambush for the boats carrying the RSSDA team,thinkingg that Uranta was among the team.

On Sunday, November 16, 2008, Mr. FidelisAkpoghiran, a staff of the ShellPetroleum Development Company (SPDC) was abducted by three youngmen armed with AK47 assault riffles at Rumuodamaya, Port Harcourt inRivers State.

The incident took place at about 10:00am on that fateful day. The victim,Fidelis Akpoghiran and his wife had gone to visit his brother's fiancee'sparents at the Rumuodomaya community.As they just entered the house andwere still exchanging pleasantries with one another, the 3 kidnappers struck.

They tied up everybody in the house at gun point and after confirming theidentity of the Fidelis, took him away in his (Fidelis Akpoghiran) ToyotaCamry car, 2008 model, ash colour with registration number EU 245 LSR.

Policemen Killed in Opobo Water way.

Kidnappers Seize Shell Workers, Demand N7 M

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Immediately after the incident, the kidnappers called that they are militantslooking for money to buy arms, they rather demanded for N7 million naira asransom.

CEHRD further gathered the kidnappers were not arrested and ransom waspaid. The police command in Rivers State said the family and employer(Shell) of the victim had contacted them about the incident and that theywere still investigating.

Later CEHRD contacted them but they refused to comment on the matterJournalists also expressed such disappointment over the matter.

In early December, 2008, about 10:30pm (in the night), a gunman in militaryuniform appeared in the house of Chief Emmanuel TamunowunafuroInemikabo Kalaru, the high Chief of the Ibaka community in the OkrikaLocal Government Area of Rivers State and shot him dead, wounding his 3-year-old girl.

Community people told CEHRD that the gunman clearly a hired assassingot to the house of the late chief Kalaru, the head of the Kalaru war canoehouse, he saw Kalaru relaxing with his family member in front of his houseat Ibaka at about 10:30pm, and shot him dead at point blank at his chest.Chief Kalaru bled and died instantly. They said by the time the soldiersstationed there arrived the scene, the assassin had fled.

The 49-year-old the late chief Kalaru was installed as head of the war canoeHouse on April 26, 2003, though the immediate cause of the action is notknown, but those who spoke to our investigator said there has been alingering kingship tussle in the Ibaka community.

CEHRD learnt that for the past 20 years, two families Kalaru 1 and Kalaru IIhave been fighting over the Ibaka stool. The murdered chief EmmanuelTamuno Wunafuro Inemikako Kalaru was supporting the Kalaru I. Thedeceased had reportedly escaped death 3 times, this time around was notlucky again. With guns and gangs every where, no one seems safe.

Ibaka Chief Shot Dead ByAssasin in Military Uniform

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Assassins Who Posed As Photographers Shot Dead School VicePrincipal

14-Year-Old Stella Chinedu Raped To Death

On Wednesday, December 3, 2008, gunmen on motorbike called Okada whoposed as commercial photographers broke into the venue of a send off partyat Ime-Obi College, Agbor in Delta State and shot dead Mr. Paul Mafiana,the vice-principal of the colleague.

The gunmen reportedly lied to the security men at the college's gate andwhen allowed into the college premises headed straight to Mr. Paul Mafianawhere he was in his office to organize the send off party. The gunmen firedthe man and when he died they left.

The Delta police public Relations officer (PRO), Mr. Charles Muka couldnot say whether those who shot dead the vice-principle are armed robbers ornot, but promised that investigation had commenced.

The situation in Delta state, like other places, was so hopeless that theFederal Government on Saturday, December 13, 2008 deployed anti-terrorism squad into the state, to tackle hostage-takers, oil bunkerers, hi-techrobberies and other forms of organized crime. But, in spite of that thesituation has not improved.

In early December, 2008 a police officer had called one of CEHRD officialsto give information about a 14-year-old girl, Stella Chinedu who was rapedto death in a bush at Ogwashi Uku in the Aniocha South Local GovernmentArea of Delta State.

CEHRD sent one of its investigators to visit the victim's family, police andothers to find out the truth. A family member of the victim said the victimwas sent on an errand to a neighbouring community by her uncle, Paul Oka,who works at the Delta State ministry of Finance. The poor girl did not knowthat 3 sex maniacs were awaiting her, they later forced her to a bush andengaged in a violent and ruthless sex which led to the girl collapsing anddying.

The police officer revealed to CEHRD that it was Paul Oka who reported the

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case to the police and a search party was conducted leading to the discoveryof the lifeless body of Stella with caked blood all over her private partregion. He further disclosed that one Charles Okoro alias Obstacle wasarrested and had confessed to have committed the crime with other 2 on therun.

CEHRD visited the Charles Okoro in his cell where he is held, but he refusedto say a word on the matter.

The body of the girl, Stella is deposited at the Federal medical centre in Saba,Delta state. The police said they will do an autopsy before she would beburied.

CEHRD is worried at the rising wave of such pattern of violence againstwomen.

On Wednesday, December 3, 2008, scores of heavily armed fighters fromthe Tom Ateke's led Niger Delta Vigilante Movement (NDVM) arrived theNigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depot at Alesa in theEleme Local Government Area of Rivers State with guns hidden under theirclothes. On arrival, they started preaching the gospel about the coming ofJesus Christ and distributed Christian tracts. Every body there had thoughtthey were real evangelical preachers, not knowing that they were gunmen.Shortly after they gained the confidence of everybody including that of thesoldiers of the Joint Task Force (JTF) stationed there, they disarmed the JTFand the huge General Multi purpose machine Gun (GMPMG) positionedthere and disappeared into their waiting speed boats.

When the militants swiftly retreated after the operation, they set fire on thebus they came there with, while shooting sporadically. They took the JTF bysurprise. CEHRD learnt that a Youngman called Ismaila, a mobile set andphone vendor was killed by stray-bullet of the armed band.

An official of the NDVM confirmed that they carried out what he describedas “lightning operation” Lt. Col. Musa Sagir confirmed the incident, butdenied the loss of GMPMG. Sagir's denial contradicts what a soldier at the

TomAteke's Fighters Disarm JTFSoldiers at NNPC Depot, Eleme

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unit told CEHRD monitor that they actually lost the GMPMG.

On December 4, 2008, gunmen struck at Luwa community in the KhanaLocal Government Area of Rivers State and kidnapped Mrs. Nowa Maeba,the 77-year-old mother of Senator Lee Maeba, representing the RiversSouth-East Senatorial District (comprising Gokana, Khana, Tai, Eleme,Oyigbo, Opobo andAndoni Local GovernmentAreas, all in Rivers State).

Villagers told CEHRD that a group of gunmen stormed the rusticcommunity and forced the aged woman from her house into a wheelbarrowand whisked her away to an unknown destination.

The spokesman of the Rivers State command of the Joint Task Force (JTF),Lt. Col. Sagir Musa confirmed the incident and said though no informationabout the where about of the victim had reached them, he promised to do hisbest for the senator's mother.

It is sad for the aged woman and ironic somehow, that a lot of thugs used bypoliticians to steal elections and cause other forms of electoral malpracticesand violence are the ones engaging in commercial kidnapping andproliferation of small arms. During the 2003 election, heavily armed thugsloyal to senator, Lee Maeba, CEHRD observed them hijack electoralmaterials and perpetrated other forms of violence in Bori, the headquartersof Khana, while the police watched gleefully. The 2007 election, Maeba wasreturned also witnessed such pattern of violence unleashed by Maeba'sthugs. It may be recalled that after the election, scores of those thugs hadseries of problems with him for not paying them for their services during hiselection. Some of them later contacted CEHRD to help them ensure that LeeMaeba pays them, but since it is not part of CEHRD's objectives to negotiatepayment between politicians and thugs we declined.

On Saturday, December 6, 2008, four able-bodied men armed with Ak47,pistols and axes broke into the private bedroom of Elder Sylvester Mbata,trader who traded on textile materials and shot him dead. Mbata, a father of16 children from two wives was killed in his house in the Omunwei villagein the Igwuruta in the Igwuruta area of the Ikwerre Local Government Area

Senator Lee Maeba'sAged MotherAbducted

Elder Sylvester Mbata Gunned Down in His Bedroom

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of rivers State.CEHRD spoke to a lot of villages; no body could really say why the man waskilled. The Igwuruta divisional police was also evasive on the matter whenCEHRD contacted them. After shooting Mbata dead in his bedroom, theydid not collect any of his belongings. They were only after his life. We areworried at the rate of lawlessness and extra-judicial killing going on in theregion either by state or non state agents.

The Ibaa communities in the Emohua Local Government Area of RiversState had known no peace since the traditional ruler, His Royal Highness,Eze Ohaka died. The community has witnessed unprecedented violence andsenseless killings.

The bloody event of Sunday night, December 7 December 8, 2008 seems tobe the climax in the Ibaa bloody drama. CEHRD was told in the violenceridden community that Mr. Gowon, the councilor representing Ibaa in theEmohua Legislative Assembly had initiated a football match competitionand bought a cup to be given to who wins in the foot ball contest.

But The Deebam one of the gangs flaring violence in the communitydemanded that before the football competition should take place they (theDeebam), a notorious street gang should be paid a whooping sum of onehundred thousand naira as what they called “matching ground” fee. Thematch was later held though the money demanded by the Deebam was notpaid. It was gathered that the chairman of the Emohua Local GovernmentCouncil attended the event and donated Twenty thousand naira to somepeople around, where as the demand of the Deebam was not met. Thefollowing day hell was let loose in the community as the Deebam andDeewell resumed the hostility. The football stuff only sparked off the crisis.CEHRD documented the names of those killed. 12 youths including Mrs.Ego who had returned from Port Harcourt to attend the burial of her relationwas killed.

The Ibaa/Obelle Chieftaincy crisis had led to massive killings anddestruction of properties in the communities (Ibaa abd Obelle). ChiefSampson Ovua and Chief Ejike Nyenke are two contenders for the stool. But

More Killed as Deebam, Deewell clashed in Ikwerre Community

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ides employ the services of cult groups.

These are not normal times, in spite of the heavy presence of the securityforces violence, blood letting etc still continued unabated. On Sunday,December 14, 2008, two men, Michael Stephen Mwikini and NeenaebariFrank were murdered at different locations in Port Harcourt, CEHRD can'treally establish whether the tragic incidents were carried out by the samesquad and for the same purpose.

Mr. Michael Stephen Nwikina, was a leading member of the ruling people'sDemocratic party (PDP), ward II in the Khana Local Government Area ofRivers State. Nwikina hailed from Kwuwa. Gunmen came to his house andcalled him out and murdered him at his Elelenwo residence in Port Harcourt.

Mr. Neenaebari Frank from the Ko community in the same Khana LocalGovernment Area of Rivers was also called on his mobile pone and as hewent out of his residence in Port Harcourt he was shot dead by gunmen whocalled him.

Earlier on December 13, 2008, gunmen numbering about five, stormed theresidence of Mr. Sunny Rima, an aide to Mr Kenneth Kobani, the formercommissioner of Finance under the Governor Odili government in the stateand murdered him. CEHRD gathered that the gunmen stormed the residenceof Sunny Riman at Eliozu in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area ofrivers State and shot him dead.

On Sunday, December 14, 2008, Chief wale Adegboye, a Port Harcourtbased business mogul and grand patron of the Rivers State sports WritersAssociation of Nigeria (SWAN) was gunned down by yet-to-be identifiedassassins who followed him as he was driving out of his house in OkporoRoad and on his way to a catholic church in Port Harcourt.

Chief Adegboye, a major contractor to Shell Petroleum DevelopmentCompany (SPDC) was driving in his Toyota Infinity car with registrationnumber- and was driving into Rumuodara from OkporoRoads in the Rumuokwrushi area, when a vehicle blocked him. Some of the

PDPStalwart,AnotherAssassinated in Port Harcourt Same Day

Chief WaleAdegboye Gunned Down in Port Harcourt

RV 307 RVC,

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gunmen who were driving in another vehicle appeared from behind hisvehicle and fired several bullets at his chest and head. Wale Adegboye diedinstantly.

CEHRD learnt that he was traveling alone and that the attackers did notremove anything from his car. Police public Relations Officer (PRO), Mrs.Rita Inoma-Abbey confirmed the incident and promised to investigate thematter.

The deceased was the executive officer of Wale and Dema CompanyLimited and a well-known philanthropist in the state. His corpse has beendeposited at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital's Morgue.

On Friday, December 19, 2008, heavily armed militants abducted a Swedishvessel called off the Bonny River (about 19 nautical miles offshore) The vessel was sailing to Akpo oil field. CEHRD gathered that theSwedish vessel was on charter by Saipem, a subsidiary of Eni, the Italian oiland gas mogul.

The suspected militants seized the huge oil vessel and commandeered ittowards the Sommbereiro River, the militant enclave in the Akuku TorluLocal GovernmentArea of Rivers State. On board the affected vessel were IIRussians and a 1 Ukrainian. The gun men later freed those on board and tookfive Russians as hostages.

In the wake of the kidnap of the Swedish vessel, the deltaic insurgent group,the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND)condemned the act and accused those responsible of not being part of theNiger Delta struggle.

On same Friday, December 19, 2008, gunmen kidnapped a Filipino at theBorokiri area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The Joint Task Force (JTF)confirmed both incidents and said criminals are on the prowl.

In the early hours of Friday, December 26, 2008, the crisis betweenAgip and

Russians, Ukrainian, Filipino Kidnapped in Rivers

Herkules,

3Youths, 5 Soldiers Died inAttack onAgip Facility in Bayelsa State

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Tebibada communities in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area got itspeak as youths from the Tebibada community angered by the treatmentmeted out to them, invited some militants from a unit of the Movement forthe Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), “to join them and deal withAgip”.

CEHRD was reliably informed that the some Tebibada youths had hiredsome fighters from GeneralAfrica Ukparusia's camp in the area, to join themand attack the facility of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC). GeneralAfrica is a top commander of MEN in the central delta (Bayelsa state), fittedits boats with assault and combats riffles they launched a surprise attack onthe unit of the JTF guarding the facility killing 5 soldiers, and wounded 3,while 3 of the attacks were killed.

In a rather dramatic twist, MEND disassociated itself from the attack sayingthat it was observing a ceasefire. MEND said that those who attacked thefacility were aggrieved youths and not MEND fighters. MEND did notauthorized it, but one of its units affected as mercenaries. CEHRD gatheredthat those killed and captured were community youths who fought alongside with General Africa's boys, and that they led the MEND fighters to theplace.

Indeed, very dramatic. The Joint Task Force (JTF) claimed that no soldierdied when sources within its military hospital confirmed to CEHRD that 5 ofit soldiers lost their lives in the attack. The Nigerian media bought into thebait and reported JTF well on the matter. In the wake of the Tebidabaincident, Brig-General Nanven Kimtip, the JTF commander in Delta Statecommended newsmen for its success.

On Monday, February 22, 2008, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Nkwo, a senior staff of theElf Petroleum Nigeria Limited (EPNL) was kidnapped by gunnmen fromPort Harcourt and taken to one of the communities in the Khana LocalGovernmentArea of Rivers state. The victim's (Mrs. Oluwatoyin's) husbandis also the manager, training services with EPNL.

Abducted Female Oil Worker Disappears from Kidnappers

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Following the kidnap of the woman, reports have it that some villagers whonoticed that the woman was kept in the community went and reported to thesecurity officials who started being on the trail of the kidnappers.

The victim however managed to liberate herself from the net of her captors.CEHRD gathered that when one of the kidnappers' armed guards went on asurveillance of the neighbourhood, the kidnapped woman took a tablet ofsoap that was within, put it in water and robed on her ankles to facilitate theremoval of the chains from her ankles. It worked and she succeeded inremoving the chains and she escaped.

Sources told CEHRD that she ran into the nearby bush before the armedguard returned and later found her way to the Bori central police station. Inthis case no ransom was collected. Police authority in the area confirmed thisto CEHRD.

On Tuesday, February 27, 2008, gunmen heavily armed with AK47kidnapped two toddlers, Chimaraoke and Kelechi Okocha aged two and oneand half years respectively while on their way to the University of PortHarcourt Day care Centre in Choba.

Widespread condemnation greeted the gunmen's action. On Saturday,March 1, 2008, the older one, Chimaraoke, was dumped at the GovernmentComprehensive Secondary School, Borokiri in Port Harcourt, the capital ofRivers State, while the younger one, Kelechi Okocha, was abandoned at theOlobo Premier College, Choba, Port Harcourt.

The victims are children of Rufus Okocha, a Port Harcourt basedbusinessman.

Kidnapping for monetary ransom by faceless criminal gangs in the NigerDelta region of Nigeria and beyond has been rampant. The Gunmen hadphoned the parents of the toddlers and demanded a whooping sum of N80million. Though, officials of the Rivers state government interviewed byCEHRD denied that ransom was paid to the kidnappers, security officialswho were involved in the negotiation for the release of the victims

Gunmen Kidnap two Toddlers

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confirmed to CEHRD that huge ransom was paid for their release, butrefused to disclose the amount. The ransom was allegedly paid by the RiversState government.

On Sunday, April 27, 2008, a group of militants invaded the DivisionalPolice station in Bonny Island in Rivers state. The militants numbering 10and heavily armed with AK47s and dynamites traveling in 4 speed boats atabout 7:30pm, went through the Amassoma waterside, into the Amassomacommunity in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa andsacked the Divisional Police headquarters there.

CEHRD reliably gathered that the gunmen carted away unspecified numberof arms and ammunitions and mistakenly took away scripts of Biologypractical question papers written last Saturday by candidates sitting for theGeneral Certificate of Education (GCE) examinations. They had thought thebag contained money. They forced their way into the police station withoutany resistance. Their operation lasted for about 30 minutes and aftershooting sporadically into the air, they quit the community through the sameroute they came in (Amassoma waterside).

While responding to questions from pressmen, Mr. Iniobong Ibokette, theBayelsa state police spokesman confirmed the incident. He said; “yes, atabout 7:30pm, some armed youths attacked the divisional policeheadquarters at Amassoma. They are not able to take anything and nobodywas hurt. The situation is now under control and the police have launchedinvestigation into the incident. There is no cause for alarm as the police arecapable of protecting lives and properties in the area.”

On Sunday, April 27, 2008, heavily armed persons suspected to be militantsstormed the Divisional Police station in the Bonny Island, home of theNigeria's multi-billion dollars Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) andshot dead 5 police officers on duty, injured others and opened the Police cellsto free detainees suspected to be their colleagues.

Those police officers killed include an Assistant Superintendent of police

MilitantsAttack Police Station inAmasoma, CartAwayArms

Militants Sack Bonny Police Station, Kill 5 Policemen, Free detainees.

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(ASP), one inspector of police, 2 sergeants and a constable. Also, thegunmen carted away some cache of ammunitions. Sources at the Island toldCEHRD that the incident might not be unconnected with the arrest of one ofthe militants. The suspected militants came in a motor vehicle and took thepolice by surprise.

In the Bonny Island located in the Bonny local government area of RiversState which has one of the nation's oil export terminals and home of the hugeNLNG, in spite of a huge military presence on the Island, militancy andother violent crimes flourish.

On Sunday,April 6, 2008, heavily armed gun men kidnapped Master ChichiNzerim, an 11-year-old boy after killing the driver of the vehicle and a policeescort attached to them. The mother of little Chichi was also shot in the armby the gunmen.

The vehicle which carried Chichi, the driver, the police escort and hermother was going to drop the toddler at his boarding School, BrookstonInternational School located at Igwuruta Ali community in the IkwerreLocal GovernmentArea of Rivers State. The incident occurred on Sunday atabout 5:30pm. Apparently the gunmen were trailing the vehicle and whenthey got to a “safe location” they opened fire sporadically, killing the driverand the policeman attached to the boy. The kidnapped toddler is the child ofan oil and gas company boss called DMS located in Onne, Rivers state.

When contacted, the Rivers state police spokeswoman as at that time, Mrs.Barasua Ireju confirmed the incident to CEHRD. She said that no groupclaimed responsibility for the kidnap and that the kidnappers then had notestablished any contact with the family or any body as other kidnappers doand make ransom demand.

On Tuesday July 29, 2008, around 12.00pm fighters from Soboma Jakirich,popularly called Egberi Papa launched a ferocious attack on Abonnemacommunity in the Akuku-Torlu Local Government Area of Rivers State.

GunmenAbduct 11-year-old Chichi, Kill Driver, Escort.

4 Soldiers, Others Killed as Soboma Jakrich Clashes with SobomaGeorge

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The Egberi Papa's attack was directed against the community becauseSoboma George, the leader of the Outlaws, another notorious secret gangoperating in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, was using the area as hisbase.

Those who spoke to CEHRD said that the cause of the attack on Abonnemaled by Egberi Papa was over the payment of N20million naira paid to EgberiPapa for the release of 8 expatriate staff he kidnapped on Saturday July 26,2008 off the Bonny River in the State. The expatriates which Egberi Papawere alleged to have kidnapped were 2 Russians, one Lithuanian and 5Latvians who were staff of Global Gas Services Limited, while their 2Nigerian colleagues were killed during the attack.

Egberi Papa was also accused of being responsible for the kidnap of Mrs.Seiye Lulu-Briggs, the wife of Lulu-Briggs, the multi-billionaire oil mogulsometime in January 2008. But, Egberi Papa told CEHRD that his clashwith Soboma George was because of his criminal activities and that hisfighters are always attacked along the waterways by Soboma George's boys.“I am not a criminal; I am a freedom fighter, fighting for the liberation of ourIjaw and other Niger Deltans. It is Soboma George who is a cultist and whoengages in criminal activities.”

The Abonnema battle paralyzed all commercial and social activities in thecity. Property worth millions of naira was destroyed - including a securityvehicle, while 4 soldiers of the JTF who had attempted to quell the clashbetween Igberi Papa and Soboma George were killed. Scores of innocentresidents were also killed including militia men.

Egberi Papa is one of the allies of Farah Dagogo, the head of the Niger DeltaStrike Force (NDSF) and head of the eastern delta command of MEND.Some of his fighters fought with Egberi Papa during the Abonnema attack.Few weeks ago, Farah's fighters had attacked Abonnema too, in search ofSoboma George's fighters.Following the frequent attacks in the area, a lot of people deserted the place.

On Saturday July 20, 2008, a passenger boat traveling along the ObiokuGunmen Kill 3 Soldiers, 4 Civilians

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waterway in the Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, carryingunarmed soldiers in mufti and civilians were gunned down by rampaginggunmen.

On Monday July 21, 2008, the bodies of the 3 slain soldiers and 2 othercivilians were recovered in a joint search effort between Odiomacommunity and the Joint military Task Force (JTF) (73 Battalion) of theBayelsa command.

The victims had boarded a commercial speedboat from Obioku in NembeLocal Government Area to Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State whengunmen on their trail murdered them in cold-blood and kept the corpses at aplace along the waterways. CEHRD gathered that it was some localfishermen who saw the dead bodies and alerted their village; and the villageauthority alerted JTF.

Spokesperson of the Bayelsa command of the JTF, Lt. Col. Chris Musaconfirmed the incident to CEHRD and said they had declared WokiAbralafu popularly called Kitikata, a well-known militant leader, wanted inconnection with the murder. Kitikata hails from Odioma, a riverinecommunity administratively located in the Nembe Local Government Areaof Bayelsa State. CEHRD gathered that the wanted militant leader wasexiled from his Odioma community following his role in the murder ofsome councilors after a peace meeting between Obioku and Odiomacommunities in 2005. Odioma was razed down by soldiers in 2005 as aresult of the killing.

CEHRD further gathered exclusively that Kitikata and his fighters had beenon the trail of the soldiers they alleged have been spying them. The deceasedsoldiers were of the military intelligence unit of the JTF. Woki Abralafua.k.a. Kitikata and his fighters fled to join Farah Dagogo, the leader of theNiger Delta Strike Force (NDSF) and commander of MEND in-charge of itseastern Niger Delta command.

The Obioku axis where the incident occurred is one of the most dangerousareas in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. There are a lot of rival armedgangs and cult groups operating there apart from the wanted Woki Abra

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Lafu a.k.a. Kitikata.

On July 31, 2008, about 10 members of the Deewell, a notorious street gang(cult) armed with guns, bottles and machetes stormed the Olocha Estate inthe Omueke community in Igwuruta in the Ikwerre Local GovernmentAreaof Rivers State and murdered 67-year-old Thompson Enang.

CEHRD gathered that the Deewell group was led by Bright Nwolu whoallegedly killed the victim. Others in Nwolu's Deewell team were EzeNwago, Kelechi, Chigozie, Chimdiebere and Chimankpa and 4 otherswhose names CEHRD could not obtain. The cultists raided the late 67-year-old Thompson Enang's home, in search of his son, Victor Thompson, butwhen they could not find Victor, they smashed broken bottles on the man's(Thompson Enang) head and face and also dealt several machete cuts on hishead. When the poor man fell down, the Deewell cultists left him thinkingthat he had died.

Some kind neighbours later rushed into his house and took him to HagiHospital along Agboga area of Igwuruta where the doctors at the privateclinic tried to save his life, but he died later. His corpse was later depositedat the Bolingo mortuary in the area.

Hassan Mohamed, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of theIgwuruta police headquarters confirmed the incident to CEHRD, but saidthey were still investigating the matter by the time CEHRD contacted him.He also claimed that they had made some arrests, but refused to disclose theidentities of those they claimed to have arrested.

Speaking to CEHRD, Victor Thompson, son of the deceased whom, theDeewell cultists were looking for, and later murdered his poor father said, “Iam not a secret cult member and I don't intend to join one. I have not had anyprevious quarrels with the boys.

The only thing I can remember is that one of the Deewell boys forcefullycollected my younger brother's cell phone the previous day. I met him andretrieved the phone. That is only what I can remember”.

Deewell cultists murder 67-year-old Thompson Enang

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MilitantsAttack Police Station, Kill One Police Man, CartAwayArms

Kidnapped Pa Jacob Odivwri Found Dead 6 DaysAfter

Gunmen on Saturday night, July 20, 2008, invaded a police station locatedin Sagbama in Bayelsa State, killing two police officers and carting awayarms belonging to the police.

The gunmen numbering about 12 over-ran the police station around 1:00amof that Saturday night, shooting sporadically into the air before gainingentrance into the armory of the police and removed the arms. Two policeofficers were killed in the hot exchange of gunfire between the militants andthe policemen.

The Bayelsa State Police Commissioner, Julian Kpaleke confirmed theincident and revealed that one of his men, an Inspector, was shot dead duringthe shoot out with suspected militants. He said that the intention of theinvaders was to break into the police armory and cart away arms, but theywere resisted.

The police boss's claim is contrary to information obtained by CEHRD.Scores ofAK47 and G3 were carted away by the militants during the raid.One of the sources of arms proliferation in the delta by armed groups is

attack on security outposts and removal of arms there from.

While Professor Kuta Efakaurhobo of the Rivers State University of Scienceand Technology (RSUST) was still in captive with his abductors after beingkidnapped from his Out-Jeremi Compound in the Ughelli South LocalGovernment Area of Delta State, Pa Jacob Odivwri was kidnapped. 6heavily armed men took him hostage. He was not as lucky as Professor Kutawho was released alive after paying N3million ransom. 6 days after, he wasfound dead at the Urhobo community of Emomu Orogun in the UghelliNorth Local GovernmentArea.

The deceased is the father of Mr. Eddy Odivwri, a member of the editorialboard of The This Day Newspaper. He was kidnapped in December, 2008and found dead same month.

Shell Workers Abducted in Rumuodomaya, Kidnappers Demand 7million naira RansomOn Sunday, November 16, 2008, Mr. FidelisAkpoghiran, a staff of the Shell

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Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) was kidnapped by by threeyoung men armed with AK47 assault riffles at Rumuodamaya, PortHarcourt in Rivers State.

The incident took place at about 10:00am on that Sunday. The victim, FidelisAkpoghiran and his wife had gone to visit his brother's fiancee's parents atthe Rumuodomaya community. As they just entered the house whileexchanging pleasantries with one another, the 3 kidnappers struck.

They tied up everybody in the house at gun point and after confirming theidentity of the Fidelis, they took him away in his (Fidelis Akpoghiran)Toyota Camry car, 2008 model, ash colour with registration number EU 245LSR. Immediately after the incident, the kidnappers called that they aremilitants looking for money to buy arms, they rather demanded for N7million naira as ransom.

CEHRD further gathered the kidnappers were not arrested and ransom waspaid. The police command in Rivers State said the family and employer(Shell) of the victim had contacted them about the incident and that theywere still investigating the matter.Later CEHRD contacted them they refused to comment on the matter again,journalist also expressed such disappointment over the matter.

On Tuesday, November 18, 2008, Miss Anthonia Pidomson, the youngersister of Gabriel Brother Pidomson, the former secretary to the Rivers Stategovernment under the deposed governor Celestine Omehia was kidnappedby gunmen in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State.

A member of the Pidomson's family told CEHRD's monitor that the victimwas in a private vehicle with her male friend moving along Ojoto Street inthe Diobu area of Port Harcourt when four heavily armed men interceptedthe vehicle and took her away leaving the boy in the vehicle.And that the boywho was with the victim in the vehicle is detained by the police asinvestigation continues into the matter.

The victim, Anthonia is a final year student of the department of Secretarial

Pidomson, Ex-Rivers SSG's Sister Kidnapped

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Administration of the University of Science and Technology, Nkpolu, PortHarcourt Rivers State.

Dr. Ade Abolurin, the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security andCivil Defense Corps (NDCDC) has described kidnapping as a form of localterrorism. On Friday, November 12, 2008, Professor Kuta Efakaurhobo ofthe Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) waskidnapped by gunmen who trailed him from Port Harcourt, the capital ofRivers State, to his residence at Otu-Jeremi Village community in theUghelli South Local GovernmentArea of Delta State.

Kuta, the professor of Chemistry who was in his Out-Jeremi community toattend his daughter's wedding where he was kidnapped. The commercialkidnappers traveled in a red Volkswagen passat car with registration number

which they set ablaze at the Ukwagbe waterside in theUghelli-South Local Government Area, and disappeared into the swampydeltaic creeks in a waiting speed boat. Shortly after the vanishing of thekidnappers with their hostage, Professor Kute they called his aged father anddemanded N50 million naira as ransom.

They started bargain amidst protests by his ethnic Urohobo kinsmen untilafter spending 16 days with his captors, he was released unhurt after hisfamily coughed out N3million to his kidnappers. The professor refused totalk to any person after his release. But CEHRD was in touch with somevictim's family members over the incident.

On Thursday, November 20, 2008 gunmen kidnapped, Mr. BonifaceEmengini, a Union Bank operations manager of the Kingsway branch inPort Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State. Emengini was kidnapped at thegate of his Ebi close residence, Agip Estate, Rumueme, Port Harcourt,Rivers State. He was taken away into captivity by the ransom seekingkidnappers.

The kidnap of Mr. Boniface Emengini was happening at a time when

RSUST Professor Kidnapped, Released After Payment of N3millionRansom

EDO 31 UBJ

Emengini, Union Bank Manager Kidnapped

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unknown gunmen also abducted Mr. Solomon Akiesi and his wife at RDRoad in the Rumuokwurushi area of the Obio/Akpor Local GovernmentArea of Rivers State. The couple later escaped from their captors. However,Akeisi sustained gun injuries from his abductors while escaping.

The Union bank was later released though they maintained that no ransomwas paid. Even when ransom is paid those who pay it still deny paying anymoney.

On Friday, November 21, 2008 unknown gunmen kidnapped Mrs. JoyIyaye, the wife of Mr. Boma Iyaye, the Rivers State Commissioner for Sport.Joy is a staff of one of the new generation banks in the Trans AmadiIndustrial LayoutArea of Port Harcourt was abducted at about 7:30am alongthe Dr. Peter Odili way, Abuloma area of Port Harcourt while going to heroffice.

The police said the kidnappers used their car to block that of Mrs. Joy Iyayeand placed her at gunpoint; she was dragged from her car into that of hercaptors, and taken to an unknown destination. The kidnappers later maderansom demand as usual. The commissioner's wife was later released.CEHRD can not establish whether ransom was paid or not. The nursingcommissioner's wife, Joy was released on Thursday, December 4, 2008.

On November 21 2008 gunmen armed with AK 47 riffles broke into theoffice of Mr. Baron Nwennenda Christopher Wami, a 49-year-oldbusinessman at Rukpokwu town in the Obio/Akpor Local GovernmentAreaof Rivers State and assassinated him about 12:30pm (day).

CEHRD gathered that the late Baron Wami was a major distributor to theNigerian Breweries and one-time marketing manager of the Gas producersNigeria Limited. The victim, Baron hailed from the Oroworukwocommunity in the Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State, hewas chairman of the Oroworukwo community Development Committee.

The Immediate cause of the assassination of Baron Wami could not beascertained, but a member of his Oroworukwo community who informed

Joy Iyaye, Rivers Sport Commissioner's WifeAbducted

Baron Wami Shot Dead byAssassins in His Office

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CEHRD about the killing said could be business related. The Rumiokoropolice statin that has control over the area of incident (Rukpokwa) also toldCEHRD investigator that it could be business related, and that they areinvestigating the matter.

On November 27, 2008, a Scottish man working for an oil servicing firm inNigeria was kidnapped by gunmen in Port Harcourt, the capital of Riversstate. The Rivers State police command confirmed it to CEHRD.

The oil worker was held by his abductors, a security officials told CEHRDthat ransom was paid by his company. On Monday, December 15, 2008, hewas released unhurt. “I can confirm that he was released. I don't have anyfurther information” Lt. Col. Sagir. Musa said. In the delta region, there are alot of armed groups, no group claimed responsibility for the kidnap of theman.

While Professor Kuta Efakaurhobo of the Rivers State University of Scienceand Technology (RSUST) was still in captive with his abductors after beingkidnapped from his Out-Jeremi Compound in the Ughilli South LocalGovernmentArea of Delta State.

Pa Jacob Odivwri was kidnapped. 6 heavily armed men took him hostage.He was not as lucky as Professor Kuta who was released alive after payingN3million ransom. 6 days after he was found dead at the Urohobocommunity of Emomu Orogun in the Ughelli North Local GovernmentArea.

The deceased is the father of Mr. Eddy Odivwri, a member of the editorialboard of The This Day Newspaper. He was kidnapped in December, 2008and found dead same month.

Scottish Oil Worker Kidnapped

Pa Jacob Odivwri Kidnapped, Found Dead 6 DaysAfter

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“All peoples shall have the right to a general satisfactoryenvironment favourable to their development”

Shell's Toxic Waste Threatens Rural People

Community People Decry Shell Refusal to Clean Spill

Article 24 (Right to safe Environment)Of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights

The rural people of Orogun community located in the Ughelli North LocalGovernment Area of Delta State are crying out against the Shell PetroleumCompany of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), the Anglo-Dutch Oil mogul overwastes they dumped in the community which is suspected to be toxic waste.

CEHRD investigations reveal that since 2003, SPDC has been secretlydumping re-injection waste materials, suspected to be toxic at its well 33Orogun/Kokori Flow Station. Saddened by the bad odour the substancereleases to the community and its negative implications, the Oroguncommunity wrote a letter dated May 26, 2008 to Shell after a meeting of thecouncil of Chiefs and community people held on May 25, 2008.

In an interview with CEHRD monitors in the community, a member of theOrogun council of Chief who pleaded that his name should not be mentionedsaid: “The Shell's waste is bad for our community. When rain falls, itwashes the waste into our streams. When sun shines, the whole placesmells. And Shell never considered it necessary to come and remove thisdanger”.

CEHRD tried frantically to contact SPDC, but somebody responded toCEHRD's phone call and said that SPDC did not dump toxic chemical in thecommunity you are talking about. What we have there are debris of mudwhich I don't think is harmful.

(4) A Dead Environmentand a Finished People

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A Dead Environment and a Finished People

Edagberi also called Joinkarama IV community, a swampy agrariancommunity located in the Ahoada-West Local Government Area of Riversstate really smells of crude oil which covered the community's luxuriantswamps, lands and rivulets and streams. The crude oil has been oozing out ofrusty pipelines belonging to the Shell Petroleum Development Company(SPDC).

The Edagberi hosts both Shell and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).Shell Struck oil in the community since 1965, while NAOC started oilexploitation in the community in 1983. Shell has 44 oil wells in thecommunity at its Adibawa oilfield. In May 2007, a major oil spillageoccurred which led to the devastation of the environment. In August, 2008was another major spill from Shell's pipeline. There was another one inJanuary 24, 2008 at Shell's corroded flow line atAtauishi-Nya swamp.

Hear the angry voices of the Edagberi community folks who spoke toCEHRD in the community. “The oil companies don't have respect for ourpeople. They enter out farmlands, swamps and streams without telling us,especially, Shell. The way they operate in our community if it is in otherplaces they will have problems. I have heard Shell officials saying that ourcommunity people are very peaceful and good, but they treat us withdisrespect. If you go through our community, you found out that all Shell'spipelines are old and needed to be replaced, but they won't do, only to beallowing their spills to devastate our farmlands” 34-year-old Mr. OrugbaniDistinction, second secretary to the Edagbebiri community Said.

“Any time you enter the swamps, streams every where you can't becomfortable, the bad ordour of crude oil will be disturbing you. In ourcommunity, women go to fishing too. When you go, you can't catch any fish.Fishes are dead. Even our crops are not yielding anything again”. 51-year-old Mrs.Agatha Mathew, mother of 5 children told CEHRD.

On August 4, 2008, a violent rupture occurred at a point on the Nigeria GasCompany's right-of-way condensate pipeline, (16-INCH OBEN TRUNKPIPELINE) in the swamps of the Otefe community of Ogbara in the EthiopeWest Local GovernmentArea of Delta State.

Oil Spill Destroys Otefe Community

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Madam Martha, a 59-year-old farmer cried to CEHRD at Otefe. “Part ofwhere this oil flows into is my farmland. All the crops, farmlands here aredestroyed. The place is also closer to our stream where people bath anddrink. There are also fish ponds and rafia plantation. The spill point is alsoclose to the major Jamieson River you hear of.”

As at August 8, 2008, the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) which owns thepipeline had not clamped the affected point, but CEHRD gathered that thecommunity people have informed the company.

CEHRD noticed that the oil spilled into the adjourning environment and theentire area smells. The period the spill occurred there was characterizedwith incessant rainfall which pushes the lost products to other places.Meanwhile, Benjamin Enemeri, attorney for the Otefe community haswritten to the gas company urging them to stop the off site migration of thehazardous products and clean the environment as well as paying

to the people.

The rural people of Aja-Omaetan community in the Warri North LocalGovernment Area of Delta State have accused Chevron Nigeria Limited(CNL) of using armed security men to intimidate and harass them.Community people told CEHRD that due to persistent gas flaring in thecommunity and other bad environmental practices by CNL, they have beenprotesting against it and that the oil company has been sending soldiers tointimidate them.

CEHRD is in possession of a letter written to the Delta State Governor, Dr.Emmanuel Uduaghan by the community people. “The effect of ChevronNigeria Limited gas flaring in Dibi Field has taken a dangerous dimensionas farmlands are being burnt beyond redemption; land, air and surroundingwater are overheated with its attendant associated unknown ailments nowprevalent in the community”. The letter was signed by the communityChairman, Mr.Anthony Jemide, Richard Mogbolube, general secretary andAustinAyonronfo, Public Relation Officer (PRO) respectively.

The above community representatives said they have written several letters

compensation

Local People Cry Over Intimidation By Chevron's Soldiers

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to the oil corporation and that any time they sent such letters, CNL managerresponded by deploying more heavily armed soldiers to the community.

The people of Imodje-Oro gun, a village community located in the Ughelli-North Local Government Area of Delta State is literally at war with ShellPetroleum Development Company (SPDC) over the dumping in thecommunity's land of substance suspected to be toxic waste.

The substance which was spotted by local people at Shell facility (Well 33)located in the community in early July 2008, is said to be releasing offensiveodour into the atmosphere. A 60-year-old woman who gave her name asMercy who CEHRD met in the community during a field trip spoke toCEHRD on their predicament in her native Urhobo language. Below is thetranslation in English,

Following the incident, a community appointed representative, ChiefEmmanuel Ogbobene also told CEHRD, “Because of the waste Shelldumps in our community, we are suffering. Whether it is at their well or not,it is our community. We are the people suffering from it now. We havewritten to Shell demanding 2 billion naira compensation from the companyfor the damage they caused to our ecosystem. The amount is really smallcompared with the damage they have caused. Apart from the money we aredemanding, we also want them to do proper clean up of the waste from ourenvironment”.

CEHRD gathered that Shell is angry because of publicity given the issue bythe natives. Though, they refused to speak to our monitor on the issue, Shellhas secretly sent its officials to the site in the nights to remove its equipmentsuch as caravans, compressors, cables, etc. What is left there is theChristmas tree. CEHRD's further findings revealed that the well is notproducing much and the company is reconsidering the option of relocating.

Shell Dumps toxic Waste in Orogun

“since these people (SPDC) came to this communitymany years ago, our community doesn't know peace again. Ourcommunity used to be very peaceful and quiet. But, today on daily basis,noise, pollution and bad odour from what they are doing won't allow youto have rest”.

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Shell's Unprecedented Spill Destroys Bodo CreekAs Shell contractor threaten CEHRD officials over report.In late September 2008, local fishermen and women from the Bodocommunity in the Gokana Local Government Area of Ogoni, Rivers Statecame to CEHRD office and reported the oil spill in the Bodo creek.Consequently, CEHRD deployed its officials to visit the affected site, and areport was issued in late October 2008 entitled, “Persistent oil spillage atBodo Creek: unprecedented impacts on Ecosystem stability, biodiversityand food security of Ogoni communities”. The report is on CEHRD'swebsite (www.cehrd.org). According to the report, “The Bodo creekspillage started since August 28, 2008. The source of the oiling is animpaired spot along the 28 inches Bomu-Bonny pipeline within the Bodocreek. The pipeline is a Trans-Niger trunk line running from the hinterlandsthrough Gokana, having interconnections with the Bodo West flow stationin the Mangrove swampland of Bodo creek, and linked to Bonny terminal”.

CEHRD spoke to local fishermen and women. Below are the translatedversions of the interview from the Gokana dialect.

Mr. Samuel Nadu, 50-year-oldfisherman and father of 8 children lamented.

CEHRD report was circulated widely; Shell Petroleum DevelopmentCompany (SPDC) responded to the report and declared that the spill wascaused by vandalism and sabotage to the pipeline.

On Wednesday, October 22, 2008, Chief Donald Gberesu, the ManagingDirector of Dok Liason Agency, a contracting firm to SPDC stormedCEHRD office in Eleme at about 2:00pm with some hired thugs with intentt o d e a l w i t h Z a b b e y N e n i b a r i n i , C E H R D ' s h e a d o f

“Since late August, we started noticing the oil destroying our river whichkilled all the fishes, all the periwinkles, all the crabs, if you enter themangrove forests every where is smelling of crude oil; if you want to go tofishing; you have to paddle for about 4hours through several rivers beforeyou can get to where you can catch fish and the spill is lesser, but some ofthe fishes we catch when you open the stomach, it smells of crude oil. Idon't have farmland. It is fishing I do and my family and a lot of people ofthis village depend on fishing for survival”.

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Environment/Conservation program who authored the report. But, when hisplanned abduction failed as Zabbey was out in the field as at the time of theinvasion, the desperate Shell contractor sent a hate-motivated and poorlyscripted letter to the Area commander of the Bori Area command of RiversState Police Command, telling the Area commander to “please invite him(Zabbey) for investigation.” Gberesu's letter was entitled, “Sabotage andAiding of Sabotageous (sic)Activities in Ogoni”.

Worried by frequent occurrences of abductions, murder and all forms ofhate-motivated violence in the state, CEHRD considered it very dangerousto dismiss the threat to the life of Zabbey and the invasion of CEHRD'soffice with a wave of the hand. CEHRD contacted other civil rights groupsin the state who contacted the police to report the matter officially to them.

On November 5, 2008, a team from Shell led by its Community LiaisonOfficer (CLO), Mr. Michael Sunday with Shell's engineer, Charles from itspipeline unit and officials from the Department of Petroleum Resources(DPR), National Oil Spill Response and Emergency Agency (NOSREA),with heavily armed mobile policemen, sneaked into the site withoutinforming the Bodo community. Courageous members of the Bodo YouthCouncil (BYC) led by Kpoobari Patta and other of its officials showed up atthe site, and rebuffed the threat to kill them by Shell's heavily armed mobilepolicemen and protested. Shell officials later pleaded with them, to allowthem repair the facility which they admitted openly that it was failure of theirShell's facility. Mr. Emmanuel Kpee, a member of BYC told CEHRD thatShell's officials there had asked them to sign some documents with them(Shell) and said that they will give the youths N10million, but the youthofficials refused.

Other members of BYC who were present during Shell's visit at the spill sitecorroborated Mr. Emmanuel Kpee's allegation of a N10million bribe.CEHRD later learnt that Shell promised to bring relief materials and paycompensation to the affected community. Sadly, up to the time of going topress with this report, Shell has not provided anything to the communitywho lost their source of livelihood to Shell's oil toxicity.

Recently, a team of journalists from the US Cable Network News (CNN)

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and the London-based British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) visited thedevastated sites in Bodo based on the invitation of CEHRD. CEHRD wasshocked to hear from the journalists from CNN and BBC that Shell deniedknowledge of any spill in Bodo, and that since the Anglo-Dutch companypulled out of Ogoni in 1993 following protests by Ogoni locals on theplatform of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP),led by Ken Saro-Wiwa which Shell is implicated to have masterminded hishanging and others, they are never allowed entrance into Ogoni territory.CEHRD is concerned with Shell's malicious falsehoods. The interest ofCEHRD lies in salvaging the environment and its people and not the politicsof oil and gas which Shell plays in Ogoniland and other Nigeriancommunities. However when they came under pressures they admitted thatthe spill was cause by failure of their falility.

The people of the Ikebiri clan in the Southern Ijaw Local government Areaof Bayelsa state had contacted the Centre for Environment, Human Rightsand Development (CEHRD) over a major oil spill which occurred from apipeline which belongs to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) sinceSeptember 20, 2007.

A Young man who walked into CEHRD's office and didn't want his namementioned in any publication, and presented a lot of documents and picturesto CEHRD officials present when he came, gave details of the oil spill.

The man promised to take CEHRD to the Ikebiri community which he did.CEHRD observed that the spill occurred from a corroded oil well in aswampy forest and the spill spread to several hectares of land. The entirearea stinks and releases bad air. The affected site is located close to human

3 Die in Agip Oil Pollution in Ikebiri

“In late September 2008, we started noticing that all our rivers and homesare covered with crude oil from oil pipeline installed since 1972 by AgipCompany. The crude oil pollute our environment and smells and as youknow in our community like other Ijaw communities in the delta, we don'thave drinking water, the same water we use in drinking is what we use totake our bath. Since the spill, our people started dying. I can tell you that 3persons are dead now as a result of the spill”.

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habitation and water from the swamp is used as source of drinking water bylocals.

. HRH FrancisTimi Ododo, the monarch of Ikebiri cried to CEHRD.

CEHRD also called Mrs. Funmi Coker, the Public Affairs general managerof NAOC in Lagos about the spill; she refused to pick her call and did notreturn the call. Even NAOC Spokesperson, Mr. Hardine Orife declinedcomment on the Ikebiri tragedy. CEHRD later gathered that since the spilloccurred, the Italian oil firm had not visited the site or contacted the locals.

CEHRD encouraged the community to take legal action against thecompany. But, the community people that CEHRD advised said that youcan't win any case againstAgip in the Nigerian courts due to corruption.

The Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) has dumped several tones ofsubstances suspected to be toxic waste in the Emu-Ono community in theNdokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State. The chemicals whichNAOC heaped in the rural community have been releasing offensive ordourand have polluted the Emu-Ono village community's source of drinkingwater.

In the wake of the toxic waste dump, the locals of the community had stagedseveral protest marches against the company over such ecological damage.Speaking to CEHRD, a resident of the community who didn't want her namementioned because of fear of reprisal from the firm, said,

Officials of the Italian oil firm contacted over the mater refused to commenton the matter but rather said that they are meeting with the community head

“you see Mr. Toru Ebi, chief Paebi Samuel and Mrs. Ruth Oweifa just diedbecause of inhaling of harmful gaseous chemicals from the pipe. Thefarming and fishing activities including our swamps, rivulets, palm treesand entire ecosystem have been destroyed by the oil spill”

“The companydumped the chemical in a place closer to where our houses are, and at atime rain falls regularly and it washed all the chemical into our water. Ourdemand is not about paying compensation to us, but about our health.They should come and remove it because we don't know what it contains”.

Agip Dumps Toxic Waste in Delta Community

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and leadership to resolve the matter.In Nigeria, because there is weak environmental law, corruption andenforcement problem, the international oil corporations cash in on that totreat the environment and people of the areas where they operate with uttercontempt and impunity.

On Thursday, November 13, 2008 at about 2:30pm at Iriama Villagecommunity in the Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, out of 18contract staff of the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and asupervisor, working on a ruptured Shell Pipeline there, 6 were killed whenthe pipeline exploded.

When the tragic incident occurred, the management of Shell attempted tokeep it secret from public knowledge, but when the deafening explosionwhich resulted into fire occurred, Iriama villagers who went to the scene tofind out what was happening, called their relatives in cities like Warri, PortHarcourt and Lagos. It was one of their relatives in Warri who calledCEHRD to inform her and CEHRD immediately informed the media. Onejournalist who earlier contacted Shell said they initially denied knowledgeof the incident.

Precious Okolobo, Shell's Spokesman later confirmed the incident, “a firebroke out in the course of ongoing work by an SPDC contractor who wasrepairing a leak on the line. SPDC is saddened that 6 people working for thecontractor died in the unfortunate incident. We are very sad at the incidentand loss of lives and have launched a full scale investigation. SPDC fire-fighters have extinguished the fire. Our thoughts are with the families of thedeceased who lost their loved ones”.

A local of Iriama village who gave his name as Joshua Onoma told CEHRDin pidgin English, this is the translated version, “There has been severalleaks on the pipelines, but shell won't tell us as the owners of the land theirfacilities is located. They will just enter there and do what they like pollutingour land and river. I pity those who die, also the gods of Iriama was alsoexposing them. Do you know that after the incident, they wanted to hide thecorpses and disappear if not that our villagers came and raised alarm and the

6 Shell Workers Die in Pipeline Explosion, Others Injured.

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news spread. That is the way Shell is”

Shell Spill Ravages Ikarama CommunityOn Saturday, November 16, 2008 a major oil spill occurred at the Ikaramacommunity in the Yenogoa LocalArea of Bayelsa State from a ruptured on apipeline operated by the Shell Petrolem Development Company (SPDC).Chief Simeon Okah, the deputy head of the Ikarama caretaker committeespoke to CEHRD, “Since the spill occurred Shell has not come to clean thespill from our rivers and farmlands and as you can see we are peasantfarmers and fishermem and women. This spill has done a lot of damage toour community. We have a lot of problem from the oil Spill. Apart from thebad ordour and discomfort our youths and women also tell us that we are notdoing enough to bring Shell to live up to its responsibly, please you,(referring to CEHRD monitor) kindly go and tell Shell to come and clean thespill”.

A senior officials at the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment, CEHRDcontacted said they are aware of the Ikarama spill, he lamented that Shell issupposed to mobilized them to the there, to do assessment of the level of sitedamage to the environment, but that has not been done. At the time of thisreport, Shell has not commented on the incident.

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Theis a non-profit organization based in the Ogale-Nchia

Community in the Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers Sate in theNiger Delta region of Nigeria. It was founded on August 15, 1999 as the

and re-incorporated under its new name Centre forEnvironment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD) in 2005following its board decision. CCEHRD'S work is to forge a common linkwith the rural Niger Delta communities primarily, through research,outreaches participatory trainings, campaigns and advocacy on theproblems confronting them. Equipping them with the basic knowledge oftheir situation and encouraging them to non-violently address the issuesthemselves.

Special Project Director, EnvironmentalHealth Fund (EHF), USA.

Associate Professor, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, USA.

FacultyAssociate Professor,Champlain College, USA.

Member

Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development(CEHRD)

Niger Delta Project for Environment Human Rights and Development(NDPEHRD)

Judith Robinson

Scott Pegg

Scott H. Baker, Ms

Ms. Jereoma Ikomi

Ms. Constance Meju

ADVISORYBOARD

BOAD OFDIRECTORS

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About CEHRD

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

(Coordinator)

(Human Rights)

(Rural Health & Population)

(Conservation and Environment)

(Rural Health & Population)

(Project Officer, Human Security in Conflicts

Patrick Naagbanton

Ms. Ibiba Donpedro

Mrs. Caroline Obediah

Mr. Styvn Obodoekwe

Mr. Zabbey Nenibarini

Mrs. LindaAkinsaya

Mr. Patrick Naagbanton

Styvn Obodoekwe

Mrs. Caroline Obediah

Mr. Zabbey, Nenibarini

Ms. Comfort Philip

Michael Gbarabe

SECRETARIAT

164

and Emergencies)

(Special Project Officer)

(Project Officer, Conflicts and Peace Building)

(Admin Officer)

(Admin Officer)

(Transport)

(AdminAssistant)

Mr. Sebastian Kpalap

Mr.AnthonyAalo

Miss Rhoda Shelly Viyone

Miss Nwawuru, Ugochi G.

Mr.AlexanderWikina

Mr. Bariela Baraol

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Some Other Reports by CEHRD(They are on the organization's website www.cehrd.org)

- AHarvest of Guns - August, 2004

- Impacts of Extractive Industries on the Biodiversity of the NigerDelta region of Nigeria - September, 2004

- The Big Disarmament Gamble; The Comeback of the Small Armand Light Weapons (SALW) - September, 2005

- Report of the training of rural conservations to carry out Re-vegetation of mangrove forest in a crude oil pollute swamp in Bara-Nwezor village, Bodo, Ogoni, Rivers State - December, 2005

- Bodo War ofAttrition a briefing paper on the Bodo,Ogoni crisis - July 31, 2006

- Scooping Oil for Survival; NNPC Celebrates Ecosystem Hazards inthe Niger Delta - August, 2006

- Militant'sAction, Military Rage in Nigeria's Niger Delta; over 3, 000Urban Poor Rendered Homeless - August, 2006

- Small Scale Shrimp Fisheries in Nigeria - February, 2007

- The Challenges of Sustainable Shrimp Fisheriesin Nigeria - May, 2007

- Climate change & flooding; Fate of Riverine communitiesin the Niger Delta - 2007

- Conflicts Resolution and Peace Building in the Niger Delta; TheRole of government institution & Civil Society Organizations(CSOs) - 2007

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- Trust Betrayed; a report of the Rivers state Local GovernmentCouncil Elections - Monday,April 21, 2008

- CEHRD'S Report on theApril 2007 Nigeria Elections

- Report on the Bodo Oil Spill - 2008

- Exporting Shrimp Farming to Nigeria - 2008

- The proliferation of Small Arms, Armed Groups and violentconflicts in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria - 2008

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Join today, to fight for a just societywith an enabling environment for the realization of the

People's fundamental human rights.

CEHRD

Human RightsHuman RightsMobilize and Organize around it. Defend it,

Protect it and Advocate for it in a non-violent manner.

Documents

Human Rights Report 2008