Friday Amobi, Port Harcourt
Elders and youths of Umueke village in
Igwuruta Community, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State have
called on the Nigerian Army to stop encroaching on their land and desist
from intimidating the people of the area.
Members of the community made this call
on Thursday when the youths of the area embarked on a peaceful
demonstration to the palace of their paramount ruler over what they
termed dehumanisation and intimidation of the people by the soldiers.
Speaking during the protest, the youth
leader in the village, Mr. Christian Worlu, who said they were currently
living in fear, complained that the Nigerian Army had left the portion
of land, which the community allocated to it for shooting range and was
now encroaching into the community.
Worlu said that the Army was forcefully
acquiring more land in the area outside the space already given to it
by the community prior to 1973.
He stressed that the community was
living in fear based on the activities of the soldiers in the area,
adding that they were being intimidated.
“The military men have been
disturbing us in our community. They are not allowing us to live freely.
They are even sleeping with our women forcefully.”
“They take and kill our goats and fowls
without our consent. So, our call today is that the army should leave
anything that belongs to us alone.
“We want the Federal Government to
intervene in this issue because it is getting out of hand. The treatment
we are getting from the army is not good.
“They have left the area of land our
fathers gave to them. Now, they are encroaching on our land and they
demolished our buildings, claiming that the area was theirs,” Worlu
added.
Addressing the protesters, the paramount
ruler of the area, Nyechiali Umueke, Chief John Nworlu, regretted that
the army had soiled the earlier relationship enjoyed between them and
the host community.
Nworlu accused the military of failing
in its social responsibility to the host community, noting that the army
refused to give hospital, education and the enrolment of youths of the
area as promised in 1973.
The traditional ruler condemned the
alleged rape of the women of the area by some soldiers posted to the
place, describing the act as shameful.
Nworlu said the military had taken over
the landed property close to the shooting range site, adding that the
army now has more land to itself than the community.
He also accused the army of destroying
communication links with the community, noting that they (Army) now come
for shooting range without adequate information.
Nworlu further admonished the protesters
to remain peaceful, adding that the community would take every legal
approach to ensure justice
“This is not an issue we turn into war.
Don’t be violent because the Federal Government will not be happy with
us if we go violent. The elders will do justice to the matter to ensure
that the military stops further encroachment on our land.
“Our women are being molested every
day. The soldiers sleep with our women in the bush. They are also taking
over our farmland. What we are seeing from the army today is
unbelievable. They know our boundary; so, they should leave our land,”
Nworlu demanded.
When contacted, the 2 Brigade of the
Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, dismissed the allegations as untrue,
adding that the army had maintained high moral rectitude in its areas of
operations.
Speaking, the Brigade’s Assistant
Director, Army Public Relations Officer, Capt. Lazarus Eli, said it was
even the Umueke people that were encroaching on the army landed
property.
Eli said, “Our men do not rape their
women. In fact, we have few men posted to that range site and we have
not got any complaint in that regard. The Army remains a friend to all
and we have been trying to ensure that our men are professional in the
discharge of their duties.
“We have always used the radio stations
in the state to announce when we have range, but it seems that is not
enough to them. So, we will come down to be using local town criers.”
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