Military can’t dislodge us from Lagos, Ogun creeks – Militants

 

Say over 3,000 heavily armed men still in camps

By AIDOGHIE PAULINUS
Following the ongoing aerial bombardment of militant camps in Arepo, Ogun State and some parts of Lagos State, the militants
involved in the pipeline vandalism in the areas have opened up on their activities, life in the creeks and the current situation occasioned by the military bombardment of their hitherto, safe haven with a warning that the battle is not over yet.
The General Secretary of the Forest Soldiers and Adaka Boro Last Born, an Ijaw militant group, Honourable Omomoh, who spoke on behalf of other militants in an exclusive interview with SATURDAY SUN, reiterated the call to government to urgently resume the disarmament negotiation with his group so that they can live normal lives like others, rather than resorting to military action. Omomoh also spoke on the current situation in the creeks, saying, with the ongoing aerial bombardment, the centre can no longer hold in the once upon a time peaceful creeks.
He however, warned that with over 3,000 heavily armed militants still active in various camps along the creeks, only military action cannot dislodge them except government goes into full disarmament negotiation with the militants who have devised ways of hiding in the mangroves during aerial bombardment.
“We have Single Barrel, we have Double Barrel, we have Pump Action, we have Riffles, and we also have multipurpose, which is General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG). We still have some other artillery. We have grenades in our possession”, Omomoh said.
How is life like in the creeks? How do you operate?
Our forefathers have been feasting on this terrain for decades. They were fishing,  they were involved in timber works, sawing of woods and all that. As time went on, since we are from Niger Delta, they discovered that there was a pipeline that passed through here. That was the genesis of the current problem; how they started vandalising pipelines.
How do you go about your operation?
Normal operation is all about siphoning. We go to the pipelinesand vandalise it. We have engineers that specialise on it.
Are they your members ?
Yes. They are part of the team. They will remove it and after removing the peg, hose and other items will be fixed in and siphoning will begin. That is how we operate.
How have you been able to sustain this in the creeks?
Formerly, it was local security men that were posted to those areas by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Later, they started killing our boys. After enough settlement, they would give us work to do and in the process, we would do the work. They have supervisors. The team of supervisors would come and before you know it, they would kill us and use us as scapegoats. They will label us as vandals whereas we had agreement with them.
The killings went on and on, until one day, we said let us try since these people have been killing us and we kept paying them. That was how we tried. The boys tried and in the process, they subdued them and collected their guns. That was the beginning of gun running in the villa. So, it was because we were not secured with our products. They would give us work and they would start killing us. That was the genesis of gun running in the creeks.
What is the connection between you and militants in the Niger Delta region?
We are from the Niger Delta. We are part and parcel of Niger Delta. Militants over there are our brothers. So, we have links.
Have you ever lived in the Niger Delta region, for instance, in Port Harcourt, Bayelsa…?
Yes, yes! We are from there. We have stayed there.
Why did you leave there?
Lagos is the Centre of Excellence. Everybody loves coming to Lagos because it is the Centre of Excellence in terms of education. The terrain is a peaceful and you know there is water that leads to the creeks and the Yoruba are not fishermen, they are farmers. So, our forefathers, from time immemorial, have been here fishing. With that connection, we that are their people used to visit them. Lagos has always been a link since the time of our forefathers because they were using canoes.
What brought you to Lagos? Is it pipeline vandalism?
Are you talking about me?
I mean you and other militants?
No! This is not the work that brought us to Lagos. Some of us are students; some are graduates. I am a graduate. I read political Science. But after graduation, because I see N40,000, N50,000 as small money compared to what I am going to get from oil vandalism, I decided to come here.
Looking back, can you say you have really made something out of this business?
If I compare myself to my course mates in those days, I can say God has… because I have property.
Houses?
Yes. Houses can be there.
Cars?
Cars can be among. Not much, but on the average level.
What are the pressures on you in the creeks presently?
The issue is that we love engaging with government because of the risk involved in the work and all that. There was a time an explosion took place. And when that happened, 200 people could die at a time, 100 people could die at a time. In the last explosion, 500 persons were given mass burial.
Apart from that, government said that siphoning of fuel was affecting its revenue and they were going to disarm us, reconcile us and reintegrate us into the society because we live in the creeks. Government said they were concerned about us and they wanted us to live normal lives. That was the agreement we reached and we have been expecting the implementation until the present bombardment started.
How many casualties have been recorded since the aerial bombardment began?
We can say we have lost more than 60 persons.
But we read in the papers that over 140 have died?
The casualties are not up to that level. I cannot deceive you. That is the propaganda. You can still follow up with that number.
But what is the total number of your men in the creeks?
There are men out there, who  carry arms; ordinary men that are businessmen are there; women are there. It is a community.
So, what is the total number?
There are over 3000 persons because this has to do with Lagos and Ogun creeks. From Magidon down to Ajegunle creeks, down to Abuloba, Arepo, Elepete, Mgbolomo to Shagamu, Ibafo, Magboro, we have our people. Even close to Shagamu, we have people.
You said you want to surrender. Who do you intend to surrender to?
This has to do with the NNPC. NNPC said that shortage of products was affecting them and that is why they have the problem of unremitted funds. Because of the deregulation of the downstream sector, the present minister implemented some things. He loves dialoguing and he said it can be done through him. For the first time in the history of Nigeria, he came to dialogue with us. He told that in conjunction with the Federal Government under the Amnesty programme, we were going to drop our arms because the NNPC cannot come for maintenance because the place is not secured. For several years, the place has not been secured. He sent delegates to us that we were going to surrender arms. He initiated it through the Federal Government.
There is a report that 40 of your men who were fleeing the creeks were arrested. Is it true?
They were not even up to 40. It is possible because we are many. The number is high.
Why were they running away? Is it because of the present pressure?
It is possibly because of the bombardment. You know bombardment has to do with international conflict but not conflict like this. In the history of Nigeria, this is the first time the South West is experiencing bombardment of this nature. Even people living on land ran away. So, they too can still run away because they are not armed. Some of them were ordinary businessmen. They could run for their lives because other people ran for their lives in the town.
Are you in touch with government on how to surrender?
Yes, based on the previous arrangement. The arrangement is still ongoing.
If the arrangement is still ongoing, why is the military bombarding your area?
It was because of saboteurs. They knew that we live in the creeks and that there is ammunition in the creeks. You know that this is a business everybody is doing. Everybody enjoys it in the South West. We are friends to the host communities. They have cult boys that are frustrated. They would move close to the area, wreak havoc and put the blame on people living in the creeks. They have been doing this for decades. They are the saboteurs we are fighting. Presently, we have made some arrests in which the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), Eleweran, Ogun State, can testify to. At the moment, we have notorious ones that we are working on, but it is not our duty to effect arrest. We want to give their names, their full details, information to government so that government can go ahead with their arrest because we have investigated and discovered that they are the terrorists, the saboteurs who are closer to us, causing havoc, kidnapping, raping, robbing and killing people. They are the ones tarnishing our image.
So, are you saying  it is not the militants that are doing all these?
No. It is not the militants. Militancy has been in existence for years and everybody enjoys their activities to which the host communities can testify. Presently, saboteurs have taken over everywhere, using the name of militants which is not true.
You have relationships with host communities?  
Yes.
And they know you?
Yes. Some of us even married Yorubas. I am married to a Yoruba woman. Others too! Even our girls married Yorubas.
Do you give returns to the host communities?
The issue is yes because the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) have their checkpoints in the communities. When buyers are coming to buy the products, while they were returning, the OPC members would collect their entitlements.
The OPC?
The buyers would give. the people buying the fuel would also give. We also give.
To OPC or host communities?
OPC and to some monarchs. They may not be the high ranking monarchs, but some monarchs. They work with us.
Since the bombardment started, how is the area like now compared to the way it used to be?
There is no life in the area. There is no life in the creeks now. It is a total declaration of war.
How is your group responding to the war?
What are we going to do? What are we going to do? We have to take cover. It has to do with survival of the fittest, elimination of the unfit.
What is the way out of the crisis?
The whole issue has to do with disarmament because we have guns in our possession. These are fire arms. We have them. After the war in Sierra Leone, there were a lot of guns in the hands of civilians, even in Liberia. What the governments of Sierra Leone and Liberia did was to engage the boys and disarmed them. After the disarmament, they reconciled them to themselves and after reconciliation, they reintegrated them into the society which made Liberia a free state. And Sierra Leone too is now a free state.
The South West has ammunitions. I am telling you the truth. Because of the porosity of our borders, ammunitions are there. These men, government can’t kill all of them at once. It is not possible. Some have fled, but we don’t know what they can engage in tomorrow or next. The major issue is to disarm them because they arranged security contract with us, that we are going to be securing the waterways or the government facilities, NNPC facilities in the terrain.
Can you let me into some of the ammunitions at your disposal?
The government knows. They know because a Colonel has been to all the camps.
And he saw the ammunition?
They saw everything. The government knows.
Were they shocked when they saw your ammunition?
Yes nah. They said they never knew that that was how things are like in the creeks of South West.
Can you mention some of the ammunition in your possession?
We have Single Barrel, we have Double Barrel, we have Pump Action, we have Riffles, and we also have multipurpose, which is General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG). We still have some other artillery. We still have grenades in our possession.
You also have bombs?
Yes.
Is that all?
I think that is enough nah (laughter).
When you eventually surrender, is the entire population moving out of the creeks?
Based on the reintegration, yes. If all of them are not moving at once, they will be moving rotationally and the creeks will be crime free. The neighbouring host communities will be crime free and the host communities will eventually know the saboteurs and we are going to help the government and the host communities to secure the area.
On the bombardment, are you thinking of retaliating?
We are not thinking of retaliating because government delegate had visited based on the disarmament, reconciliation and reintegration. We are interested and that is why we did not retaliate and we would never retaliate because we want peace in the Niger Delta, we want peace in the South West, we want peace in Nigeria.
So, even if the military keeps killing your men, you would not retaliate?
We know the military is doing all these because of the saboteurs.
From morning till evening, how is a normal day like in the creeks? Is it a pleasant one?
Before now, it was a sweet place, a lovely place that people love to come to. Even people from host communities come and stay with us. But compared to the present situation, life has become boring.
What are those things that used to make the creeks lovely?
The place is peaceful and business transaction was going on. So, if we were bad prople, natives in the host communities would not have been visiting us, harbouring us for decades.
It was reported that over 140 camps have been destroyed by the military. Is that true?
It is possible because camps, one after the other, on top of river.
They are destroying them?
Yes.
There are also reports that your men have fled to Ondo State, others to Badagry. Is this also true?
(He mutters) People living in the water; people doing business. Those without ammunitions would run. It is possible.
Are you saying the real militants are still in the creeks?
Some are there, some may still flee. It is not everybody that has confidence.
But the camps they are referring to have to do with houses. But if they call them camps, no big deal. But all what we want is disarmament.
Who are those that usually buy the products? Are they from within or neighbouring countries?
People from neighbouring countries do come and buy.
But people from here buy too?
People from Nigeria buy but they still take it across border through water.
Are they influential people?
Not all, but they are still influential.
How about the military? Do they aid you in order to siphon?
If they don’t do that, how is it possible for us to siphon? The government agency is always there. It is all about settlement nah.
Are you saying the military takes money from you to allow you siphon?
We settle them and siphon nah. As I am talking to you, the military is stationed there. It has been so for long before this bombardment. There is no time we don’t settle them. It is all about understanding with them. That is why we can do it successfully.
Another thing is that we are still on the agreement that came through the Minister of Petroleum, from the Federal Government. Because of unremitted funds and what have you, they want to disarm us, reconcile us and reintegrate us and secure the facilities because it is better to ask the rat to secure the fish. That was the point they brought and we abide with it because NNPC has applied local security, it didn’t work; they have used Civil Defence, it didn’t work; they used Nigeria Police, it didn’t work; Naval, it did not work. Presently, it is the Army and it is not working because product is still coming out. It is only Air Force they have not used. So, they finally realised that it is only the vandals that can take care of these products so that the vandalism would totally stop in the South West. That is the issue.

source: Sun News