panic as Soldiers shoot randomly

WARRI- SOLDIERS, who laid siege to Oporoza community, traditional

headquarters of Gbaramatu kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government

Area, Delta State, at 1.52 am, started shooting indiscriminately at about 8.44

am, causing more confusion in the riverine town.

Villagers, who ran into the forest on sighting them with gunboats were yet to

return, as soldiers, who came in search of ex-militant leader, Government

Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, and members of the Niger Delta Avengers, have

taken over the community.

Ijaw leader, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, told Vanguard on phone at

about 9.00 am: "Soldiers have started shooting in Oporoza as I speak to you

now, I do not know the casualty, but they are shooting right now, the whole

town is in turmoil."

His words: "I am crying on behalf of my people, we have been saying before

now that we do not know what the military is looking for in Oporoza, they

have come two times before now in the last few weeks. We said then that

they were looking for excuse to start shooting, now they are shooting, we do

not know what will happen after the shooting."

National President of Ijaw People's Development Initiative, Mr. Austin Ozobo,

also raised the alarm that soldiers were shooting in Oporoza and called on

the Federal Government to call the soldiers to order.

A villager, who called our reporter on phone, said: "The military is currently

shooting randomly in Oporoza but we do not know whether it was aimed at

anybody because we are still in the forest. We ran into the forest this

morning.