UNWITTINGLY, a militant warfare may have been introduced in Ebonyi State following Governor Martin Elechi's directive that the Police and other law enforcement agencies working to restore peace in the embattled Ezza-Ezillo and Ezillo communities pull out and be replaced by the military.National Daily gathered that presently, the perceived aim of the governor's directive appears defeated as the militants are believed to have been indicted the military of supplying them with arms. (Picture shows Governor Elechi)
Consequently, the crisis has grown in leaps and bounds, with weapons flowing unrestrained into the communities and creating a war situation. The situation is said to have raised panic among residents who are appealing to all the parties involved for restraint.
Reliable sources revealed that so far, apparently little or no efforts have been made by the military to halt the militants and save the lives of the innocent crisis-ridden community of Ezza and Ezillo. Armed attacks and skirmishes, the source said have kept rising just as the death toll too.
They lamented that Ebonyi State government has sunk millions of Naira in tax-payers' money into the efforts to resolve the crisis, yet little or no results have been recorded rather more sophisticated arms and ammunitions are awash in the very small community. The sources said such a development calls to question the role and interest of the army in the conflict.
Recently, Chief Elechi, the sources said, marveled at the nature of sophisticated weapons and live ammunitions that were presented to him by the army allegedly recovered from the militants in the crisis enclave. They included more than 16 AK47 rifles, empty shells and live ammunitions.
Following the unearthing of the weapons in the area, observers had expected the communities to heave a sigh of relief but the reverse was the case in view of the shocking find on their source.
National Daily gathered that on Monday last week, four hefty young men were arrested by police detectives, in possession of four AK47 assault rifles alongside a soldier who was allegedly hired by some elements from Ezillo community to help unleash mayhem on their perceived rivals- the Ezza-Ezillo people. They were brought to the Cabinet Office, Government House, Abakaliki.
The suspects were reportedly arrested on their way to launch a deadly attack on the Ezza-Ezillo people who have been directed to leave their homes and relocate to another area.
When interrogated, the suspected militants admitted that they were actually on their way to attack their enemies before they were apprehended.
According to their revelations, they alleged that the military have been involved in the supply of the sophisticated weapons that they have been using in the war since they were deployed to the area. This infers that the army may have been fuelling the conflict rather than quelling it, our sources said.
The suspects also claimed that one serving commissioner and a top government functionary of Ezillo extraction have been sponsoring payment for weapons allegedly procured from the soldiers in the area.
Also, speculations are rife on the alleged roles of the Chairman of Ishielu Local government Area, Barrister Onwa Ali Onwa and his Ezillo Development Centre Coordinator, Hon. Lawson Ede which have widely been described as questionable.
A source who spoke to National Daily under condition of anonymity said that the crisis always starts whenever the allocation of the local government arrives and went ahead to say that the workers of the local government and the development centre have not been paid due to the alleged sponsorship of a faction in the crisis with local government fund.
Another issue raised by the arrested Ezillo militia men was the involvement of the Commander of the Operation MESSA in the area, Leutenant. Saturday Tasunda in the crisis.
Tasunda it would be recalled, attacked a journalist who was on hand to cover the parading of the 'mercenary' soldier in connection with the wanton massacre in the said communities that has lasted since May 10, 2008 . It is the opinion of many that there may be a lot more mercenary soldiers on the payroll of the faceless element engineering the communal conflict in Ezillo.
When the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Fidelis Mbam received the reports and asked the suspects a few questions, he was openly disappointed with the role of the military in the crisis, our sources said.
National Daily learnt that Mr. Emmanuel Igwe, the publisher of National Issue newspaper, a local tabloid in the state, who was at the Government House to cover the parading of the suspects, had only snapped a few shots of them when Tasunda pounced on him, assaulted and frog-jumped the journalist for doing his legitimate duties. Tasunda also confiscated his digital camera.
It will be recalled that when the General Officer Commanding 82nd Division of Nigerian Army, Enugu , Major Gen. Isa Mohammed paid a courtesy visit on Governor Elechi, one of the complaints laid before him by the Ebonyi Chief Executive Officer was the escape of 23 militants under the army's custody.
Residents of Ebonyi are now wondering if the presence of the military personnel in Ezillo has really impacted positively on the clashing communities.
About four boys from Umuezeoka in Ezza West development Centre of Ezza North Local Government Area of the state, recently, were allegedly kidnapped and maimed by the people of Ezillo and to date, their case have been closed.
National Daily visited the Ekwetekwe community, the home town of the survivor of the kidnap attack who told our reporter how he ran through the bush until he reached the military check-point and narrated their ordeal in the hands of the suspected men of Ezillo. The answer he got from the soldiers was rather a sympathetic.
“When I narrated my ordeal to them, one of them told me that they would have loved to help me and save the victims but the problem was that they do not have any vehicle and that they were only two soldiers there and told me to stay with them till day break when they gave me money to go back to my village,” he said.
It baffled observers how come only two soldiers were on duty that night and where the jeep the state government gave the military was that they could not embark on a rescue mission to save the abduction victims later brutally murdered in cold blood.
Reports from other sources, alleged that on some occasions, especially during the Christmas period, some of the suspected militants dressed in army uniform and stood at strategic points where they deceived and attacked unsuspecting victims. This led to the death of so many people in the area.
Meanwhile, tongues are wagging whether the Nigerian Army authorities have learnt of the quantity of arms and ammunitions put on the black market each day by the men of the Operation MESSA at Ezillo.
The army, sources alleged, seem to be doing largely, the bidding of top Ezillo men in Governor Elechi's government. They were doubtful whether the governor has not discovered the unfolding plot to undermine the Ezza-Ezillo people.
Until the government of Ebonyi State, the Canton Commander of Nkwagu Military Barracks, LT. Col. Jonathan Garnvwa and the Army High Command addressed these issues, the said objectives of Governor's directive for the military occupation of the area would remain defeated and peace efforts deadlocked, the sources have said.
Concerned residents of the state, meanwhile, have lamented that Tasunda who has severally been accused of extortion, harassment and intimidation of the villagers, apparently poses a security risk in the area he was supposed to salvage. The latest allegation leveled against him is that of chasing away Ezza- Ezillo people who try to return to their homes.
They appealed that as a matter of urgency, Tasunda should be called to order by the hierarchy of the Nigerian Army to uphold the trust bestowed on him to protect the lives and property of the citizens.
The latest indictment of the military by militants has come at a time the authorities are still grappling with similar claims in the Niger Delta region. It has come as the Henry Okah treason trial for alleged militant arms supply case is still bugging the minds of majority Nigerians. The Federal Government in a 14-count charge, as hearing opened at the Federal High Court, Abuja on April 5 last year accused Okah of treason, terrorism and also linked him with the disappearance of weapons in the Nigerian Army Central Depot in Kaduna, North Central Nigeria.
A leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta,(MEND), Okah and his co-detainee Edward Atatah were both accused by the government prosecutor of treason, terrorism and illegal possession of firearms.
The Prosecutor had said that Okah bought over 6000 assorted rifles ammunition from some military officers who were then in detention for missing arms at the Nigerian Army ordinance depot in Kaduna.
Okah was said to have provided the weapons to Militant Groups in the Niger Delta with the alleged intention to topple the Federal Government.
The duo were arrested in Angola while trying to buy a Korean shipping vessel worth 670,000 US dollars for the purpose of transporting weapons to Militant Groups in the Niger Delta.
Okah and Atatah were extradited to Nigeria by Angolan authorities mid-Febraury after their arrest and detention on September 3, 2007.
A 10-man General Court Martial (GCC), it was reported had sentenced Major Suleiman Akubo and five other soldiers to life jail for sales of 7,000 arms of different descriptions at about N100 million to an alleged brother of Okah, they identified as Sunny Bowei Okah , for use by Niger-Delta militants.
The frequency of such militant claims of support by some unscrupulous military personnel, concerned citizens believe must be properly tackled to plug all leaking weapon depots.
(Culled from National Daily)
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