Abe, APC behind military invasion of Ogoni, monarch, CLO allege

The Ogoni people in Rivers State and the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) on Thursday accused Senator, Magnus Abe, one Barry Mpigi and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of being behind the military invasion of Ogoni communities resulting in the death of several innocent people.

Daily Times recalls that the Ogoni people and the CLO had petitioned the House in a letter addressed to the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara on February 27, 2016, accusing the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai of deploying soldiers to Ogoni communities to terrorize inhabitants ahead of the re-run election in the state.

While appearing before the House Committee on Army chaired by Rep. Rima Shawulu, the traditional of Menebua – Yeshe, an Ogoni community, Chief Gbaranee Barinaada, fingered Senator Abe and Mpigi for inviting the army against the community, alleging that the attacks by the military are politically motivated.

“We saw the army coming in and shooting everybody; they should go back to the barracks, there is no market, no schooling, nothing due to the presence of the military”, he said.

Speaking unbehalf of the CLO, Chinedu Karl Uchegbu said various communities have been occupied and lots of people been chased from their homes with properties allegedly destroyed by the military.

“Solomon Ndigbara, a prominent son of Ogoni land and an ex-Niger Delta freedom fighter and ex-agitator was curiously attacked by the Nigerian Army. His home was invaded by the Nigerian Army in Gokhana local government area of Rivers State.

“We have no doubt that the invasion that led to the death of several persons in that area between February 22 and 23, 2016 respectively, was staged-managed by the Nigerian Army in partnership with some politicians including Senator Magnus Abe and Barry Mpigi among others,” Uchegbu told the committee.

But, the representative of the military, Rogers Nicholas dismissed the killings in Ogoni as cult clashes and not politically motivated as is being alleged.

He told the committee that Solomon Ndigbara was responsible for the death of so many people, adding that suspects who have been arrested by the police can attest to that fact.

According to him, Ndigbara was also responsible for peddling drugs in Ogoni communities.