Igbomotoru Massacre: Amagbein urges CDS Oluyede to reopen probe
A former Niger Delta agitator, Endurance Amagbein, has called on the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, to reopen investigations into the March 17, 2024 military raid on Igbomotoru community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, where about 80 persons were reportedly killed.
In a statement issued in Abuja Sunday, Amagbein, popularly known as Adaka Boro II, said the families of the victims were still mourning the loss of their loved ones nearly two years after the incident, noting that no individual had been prosecuted.
He described the attack as unwarranted and unprovoked, alleging that the victims were mostly young people who posed no threat, questioning the speed of the military operation, which occurred three days after the Okuama incident in Delta State noting that the investigation preceding the raid may have been hasty.
Amagbein also expressed concern over the continued military occupation of Igbomotoru, even after personnel had been withdrawn from Okuama for almost a year.
He alleged that surveillance contractors, working with rogue security operatives, had sustained false claims against him and others in 2024 to secure pipeline protection contracts.
The ex-agitator appealed to President Bola Tinubu to show compassion to the bereaved families and ensure adequate compensation for those killed and for the destruction recorded during the raid.
He said residents of the community remained fearful, alleging that surveillance contractors continued to exploit the Okuama incident to justify militarisation and exert political influence.
Amagbein urged CDS Oluyede and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, to reopen investigations into the incident and make their findings public.
He expressed confidence in the leadership of the CDS, stating that the armed forces were taking “a new shape” under his command.
He further claimed that several innocent persons from the area were still being held in illegal detention centres by individuals posing as pipeline surveillance workers, calling for their release and fair treatment.
“These people are citizens of Nigeria and have the right to fair hearing,” he said. “We want the CDS to be a father to all and reunite these people with their families.”
Related to this topic:
