Army Holds Rivers Community Hostage, Burn Houses as Residents Flee for Safety
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Some indigenes and residents of Rundele in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State have fled the community following the invasion of soldiers over attack on their men deployed on special assignment between Rundele and neighbouring community.
THISDAY gathered that some soldiers deployed to guard crude oil pipelines in the areas had an altercation with some vigilante members, which resulted in shooting.
It was gathered that trouble started, when one of the artisanal refiners, who was a member of Onelga Security, Peace Advisory Committee (OSPAC), a vigilante group in the area, was allegedly ordered by the soldiers to load the illegally-refined petroleum products into their waiting vehicle and he refused, saying he was tired and could not continue.
The information had it that at this point, the OSPAC member was allegedly punished by the soldiers while they look for someone else to continue loading the products for them.
News of the punishment of the OSPAC member quickly went out through phone calls and his colleagues mobilised and stormed the scene to rescue their member, shooting their Pump Action guns sporadically, overpowered the soldiers, who ran away leaving two of their colleagues that were held from behind and their guns allegedly seized.
The two soldiers, who were also beaten, it was learnt were later freed without their guns returned to them. Thus, they went back, reinforced and stormed the community, where they suspected that some of the youths involved hail from, making arrests and burning houses among others with a view of recovering their arms.
A source from the area who pleaded anonymity disclosed that the incident occured on Saturday between the soldiers and the artisanal refiners but the personnel invaded Rundele yesterday (Sunday) in search of the guns and uniforms of the attacked soldiers.
Traditional ruler of Rundele, HRH Damian Ejiowhor, who spoke on the incident confirmed the tension in the community, and revealed that he was told the soldiers and vigilante commander had confrontation on Saturday, and that the soldiers stormed the community in search of the seized riffles and uniform.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, who monitored the incident through sources, wondered why the soldiers would invade the community to burn houses, arrest people and hold the community hostage over an incident that happened at illegal refinery site near Rundele.
