PORT HARCOURT—Four persons were feared dead, yesterday, in Bori, headquarters of Gokhana Local Government Area, Rivers State, as soldiers allegedly engaged loyalists of an ex-militant leader in a shootout.
Some students of the state- owned Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, who spoke to Vanguard on phone said that they were trapped in their rooms at press time as they could not find vehicles at the motor park in Bori to convey them to their various destinations.
The students, who did not want their names in print, said that they went for lectures but were told it was a lecture free day.
“We were told there would be no lectures from Monday till further notice. We are sure they don’t want to announce closure for now, they are studying the situation,” one of the students said.
Vanguard gathered that motor parks, markets and major stores in the area were shut down because of the tension in the town.
Community sources who also spoke to Vanguard said that they saw five corpses on Taabaa Street, stressing that people in the area were living in fear.
Meanwhile, Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People and the Civil Liberties Organisation, have condemned the military operation in Bori, saying that it had led to loss of innocent lives in some communities in the area.
Publicity Secretary, MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, in a statement yesterday, said that the military invasion of Yeghe community on Monday resulted in the death of three persons, adding that some others sustained gunshot injuries.
He said: “We are outraged and condemn in strong terms the invasion of Ogoni communities by the Nigerian military and demand from government the immediate withdrawal of the invading soldiers.”
CLO, on its part, demanded an investigation into allegations against some politicians who were fingered to have masterminded the invasion of the homes of an ex-militant and occupation of Ogoniland because they allegedly refused to be used as tools during the re-run election.
However, Governor Nyesom Wike has appealed to those who fled Gokhana and Khana Local Government Areas in the wake of the military operations in communities in the councils to come back.
The governor, in a statement by his media aide, yesterday, Mr Simeon Nwakaudu, said that the heavy presence of soldiers in the councils was mainly to ensure maintenance of law and order, pleading that residents should cooperate with the security men.
It will be recalled that soldiers stormed the residence of a former militant leader in Yeghe community, an action that provoked a clash between soldiers and supporters of the ex-militant leader.
According to Bori community sources, supporters of the ex-militant leader were chased to Bori by soldiers, yesterday morning and there was alleged exchange of fire.
“Soldiers have taken over the whole of Bori. They are everywhere,” said Barine Joyce, a resident in the area.
It will be recalled that soldiers allegedly raided the residence of the ex-militant leader, Ndigbara, in Yeghe on Monday.
The ex-militant leader, in a statement, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, accused Senator Magnus Abe of sponsoring the military operation.
He said that the soldiers razed his house and killed two persons in his compound.
Saying that his life was under threat, the ex-militant leader alleged that some politicians were using soldiers to harass him because he allegedly declined to join the All Progressives Congress, APC.
But Senator Abe has denied sponsoring the military operation, as he called on his supporters to remain calm.
Senator Abe, who spoke through his media aide, Mr Parry Benson, appealed to his supporters to remain calm, saying that they should not retaliate the burning of his campaign office in Bori.
There were rumours that the army lost three soldiers during the operation but this they denied.
Commander 2 Brigade, Major General Olabanji Stephenson denied allegation that the military operation was influenced by Senator Abe, stressing that it was purely military operation to rid the area of hoodlums and criminals.
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