JTF allegedly razed Delta community, goods, properties worth millions of naira destroyed, others suffer burn

By Ossai Rita

Indigenous residents of  Alokpagbene quarters, Ijansa, community ward13, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, have called on Government at all level to come to their aid, following the razed down of their community, allegedly by Operatives of the Joint Task Force(JTF), on Sunday 23, which  destroyed goods, and properties worth millions of naira, as well render them hopeless, and homeless,

the historical home of the founder of the community, and monuments were  burnt down during the process.

The people in their hundreds made the appeal, on Thursday at the community, during a peaceful protest, calling on  government to take proactive measures to address the unfortunate incident which have traumatized them.

It was learnt on the fateful Sunday, within 1.00PM, when JTF Operatives was on patrol along the community accosted a canoe boat, with illegal refined crude oil product along the community jetty, when asked of it owners, some members of the community said, they have no idea of how it came there, adding that most times black oil marketers do pass the river along the town with their  boats loaded with crude oil from unknown source of where the product was brought, shocking to their surprise after several suggestion within members of the troops, set the loaded boat abalze, which escalated from the waterside to the main town, over 20 houses burnt down.

Speaking during the protest, Mr Samson Alokpa, said his father's community where he was born, and brought up over 80 years is not an oil producing community, neither does it have any crude oil pipeline installation across the town.

The Octogenarian said: "Alokpagbene  is not an oil producing community, neither a place for illegal crude oil refinery, have lived here with my Father, the founder of this community, over decades before he passed on, am a teacher, have never for once seen any form of crude oil exploitation in this community, we're all fishermen here, fishing is what the people here do on daily basis for a living, so I wonder how the fire came about, we're not into crude oil sabotage, so Government should come to our aid, we're suffering, no place to sleep, no food, our properties destroyed.

the chairman of Ijansa community, Mr Richard Evenen,  said he was away at a neighbouring town, when he saw the smoke in the air.

According to him, on Sunday as usual everyone went to church, suddenly I saw a smoke where I was, a neighbouring town, getting here, our town is on fire, I heard the soldiers that set the fire came from Warri, this town is not a bunkery area, we're only known for fishing,there is no pipeline connected, or wellhead traced to this place, now our people are suffering, no shelter, no food to eat, have never seen any person here engaging in petrol marketing, JTF, destroyed this poor community, where we're managing ourselves.

He added that government should provide relief materiels for the displaced persons, whose houses were destroyed during the incident.

Petty traders who sell provisions lament how the disaster made their Christmas the worst ever,  expressing her ordeal, Mrs Diana Richard who spoke in pidgin said: " as before, if Christmas don reach like this, I dey buy things from Warri come sell for town here, drinks, and other things for eating, all the things Wen I buy come, fire burn all of them finish, nothing remain, the things reach about, 500,000 when burn lost so, now I nor get anything to do, no money, no work, no house to sleep, outside na we dey sleep, some of money I save burn finish, make Government come help me oh!, na suffer I dey oh!.

Another trader Mrs Ayaware  Alokpa  said: " all my business fire don scatter am, nothing we get again, Christmas we nor see food eat, na outside we dey sleep now, na army come scatter our house oh!, nothing wen we get again to eat, na suffer we dey oh!, our children no food oh!, make Government come help us, my papa house don scatter, all him property lost, make government come help us" she said.

Men who employ in fishing occupation, as a source of livelihood on daily basis, said the incident destroyed their fishing boats, nets, and other equipment, adding that nothing to recover in the inferno.

" the fire  scatter out boats, engine, net, and everything we take dey go fishing, na from here go other town we dey go do fishing, carry fish go sell for Warri, na that one be our business, men wen dey stay the village here, so as the thing happen na run hide I dey, nothing to save, my boat, everything scatter finish, make Government come help me oh!, na suffer I dey oh!, children no way to feed them oh!, no House to sleep again oh!, Mr Johnbull Ekime father of 6 decried.

A teacher of Apribodo  primary school Mr Oyakeme Torch said if not quick action towards quenching the fire, it would have affected, the renovated public primary school, adding that the plant generator beside the school, which supplies electricity to the school, and town at large got damaged as a result from the fire, in his words

" when the fire happen even myself I wasn't around, as a matter of urgency, I quickly came, many of us went to church different places around, I live in the school, so quickly I was able to prevent the fire, myself with some other people around, if not this primary school, would have been burnt down also, only the generator plant is affected, we have tried several times to on it, but no possible way out"

" I am appealing to government to take action on this issue, you can see the people are suffering now, the Christmas nothing to celebrate, homeless, pains, and suffering, no place to sleep, Government should look into the issues, people are hungry", he said.

sympathizing with the displaced people of his constituency, Honorable, Johnbull  Aniyanghan, councillor, representing, Ijansa ward 13, said he was  shocked when he received the message, according to him, the whole quarters under Ijansa community is not an oil producing place, neither connected with pipeline line installation, wondering how could a poor fishermen community be labelled camp for illegal refinery.

" the whole quarters under Ijansa community is not an oil producing areas, we have no well head here, no form of crude oil business, this is wickedness, how could they come and burn a poor fishermen community, properties destroy, the aged parents are emotionally traumatised, Christmas day noting to celebrate, our people here are suffering, no house, no food, am appealing to government to bring for us relief materials, food for them to eat, again Ijansa community is not an oil producing community, the State, and Federal government is aware, it, our people are dying, we need food for survival, the environment is not condusive, many of them sleep outside, we're suffering", he said.