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Ex-militant leader, 20 policemen escape death in gun attack

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niger-delta-militant

niger-delta-militantAn ex-militant leader, Eris Paul ( a.k.a Ogunboss) and 20 policemen escaped death yesterday when they were attacked by armed men at Peremabiri in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The policemen in two gunboats were detailed by the state Commissioner of Police, Hillary Okpara, to escort the ex-militant leader to his community. Eyewitness account had it that a bullet from the armed men pierced the bulletproof vest of Ogunboss but nobody has been confirmed dead in the attack.

It was learnt that the attack occurred close to the Naval Boat House used for security by naval personnel to protect the oil facility owned by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). According to reports, Ogunboss who had petitioned Okpara about the

destruction of his property was in the community to assess the level of damage.

Some of the residents of the community claimed the attack was a plot by some armed youths to resist attempts by Ogunboss to influence their removal from the Community Development Committee executive. Some others claimed the youths were renegade members of Ogunboss camp that broke away and ventured into the illegal businesses of bunkering and oil theft in the area.

A community leader, Chief Remember Olotu, who claimed he was in the entourage of the ex-militant leader explained that the visit of the leader was to check the reported destruction of his property by the suspected gunmen. “We saw the boys with sophisticated weapons shooting at us. One of the gunboats had his shield smashed by bullets,” he said.

Ogunboss who claimed that the alleged gunmen were sponsored by the CDC leadership and some ex-militant youths pointed out that the approval of gunboats for him by the State Commissioner of Police led him to visit his community

He said, “I am a man of peace and for the good deeds I have done to my community, see the way I am being paid back.” Okpara in his reaction said the deployment of the policemen was to ascertain the level of crisis in the community and explore a peaceful resolution.

He said, “It is untrue that police attacked the community. How can we be attacking the people we are paid to protect? We were notified that there was a fight in the community and we deployed men to the area. The people may have misunderstood our mission when the team arrived there. We saw them at the waterfront there and we asked our men to come back to avoid confrontation.

“We went there to maintain the peace and not to fight anyone and I have asked my DPO in the area to bring all the factions to my office on Monday so that we can further explore the opportunity of brokering peace.”

From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

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