Investigations by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that the suspected gunmen, who operated in three speedboats, swiftly swooped on the military personnel, who were enroute Ogbia from Nembe, in Brass Local Government Area of the state on a patrol duty.

As a result of the development, security formations in the state were thrown into mourning, as some officers were sighted discussing the violent attack in hush tones.

The four soldiers, who were felled by the assailants’ bullets, belonged to the Joint Task Force (JTF) codenamed “Operation Pulo Shield,” saddled with the responsibilities of securing oil installations and waterways along the Niger Delta.

A credible source informed our correspondent that a lieutenant-colonel, whose name could not be confirmed at the time of this report, was among the casualties recorded after the dastardly act.

While palpable fear and pandemonium created by the killing of the soldiers at a place popularly known as ‘Right Hand’ were yet to subside, four marine policemen were also shot  dead by bandits, who were suspected to be the same gang that murdered the soldiers.

The policemen were said to have been killed at a police post on the Nembe waterways. A police source, who pleaded anonymity, informed the Nigerian Tribune that the bandits disguised as travellers, but on getting closer to the checkpoint pulled out their guns and opened fire on the officers, who were caught unawares.

According to the source, the four bodies of the slain officers were later retrieved from the water after the gory incident.

Further checks by the Nigerian Tribune indicated that oil installations were not also spared as two pipelines belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company were also attacked by unknown persons at Ogolobiri, in Brass Local Government Area and Tundaba community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

When our correspondent visited the command, the Bayelsa State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Eguavoen Emokpae confirmed the development and said soldiers and police officers were combing the areas for the culprits.

“We are beefing security and gathering intelligence to apprehend the bandits. Till now, we have not made any arrest.”

Reacting to the attack, the media coordinator of JTF, Lieutenant-Colonel Timothy Antigha, said that “There are unconfirmed reports of an armed attack on military personnel by yet to be identified gunmen. The attack reportedly took place at about 10.00 a.m. while the personnel were enroute Ogbia from Brass. The details are still sketchy for now, but investigation is on.”

In another development, explosives, suspected to be dynamites, were detonated by unknown persons in Yenagoa on Wednesday night, precipitating fear and pandemonium around the Opolo and Customs roads. But no casualty was recorded in the two separate blasts.

Nigerian Tribune was told that the first explosion went off at Opolo at about 12.45 a.m, close to Diete Koki Memorial Hospital and not far from the headquarters of JTF in the state.

When our correspondent visited the area, it was observed that part of the roof of the security building was damaged by the explosion, just as it drilled a hole on the concrete floor. One of the workers in the hospital, who identified himself simply as Ishmaila, said the building was shaken by the explosion, disclosing that security operatives inspected the area on Thursday morning.

The Opolo blast occurred shortly after another explosion rattled the residents of Customs Road at about 9.30 p.m.
Commenting on the explosion, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Chris Olakpe, confirmed the development, insisting that the explosions were handiwork of mischief makers, who were on a mission to seek attention, just as he charged the people to disregard the incident and go about their normal business, assuring that culprits would be unmasked soonest.

-Tribune

By Ndiameeh Babrik, NNP – October 21, 2011 –

Just recently after the presidential election in April 2011, the whole of Northern Nigeria was on fire again, with the attendance killing, looting and burning of people’s properties, Churches and Mosques all over the North.

Those of who have followed the Sheik Lemu panel proceedings would have known that there was no state in the far North and the Middle Belt that was not   affected by the CPC rioters. The worst affected states were Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara.

Kaduna State’s case is most pathetic where is there accusation and counter accusation of Massacre in Kaduna, Zaria Makarfi, Kafanchan Soba, Giwa and Zonkwa.

Victims from Adamawa State also presented a pathetic story to the panel that the CPC supporters burnt the whole markets in Mubi, Michika and Yola. The main towns in the state and Numan.

Some of the eleven NYSC members killed in Bauchi are even from Kwara, Kogi and Benue States. The family of PDP Chairman of Gombe was wiped out completely in Gombe town.

Since the 1980s various Islamic sects have sprang up in the North with various Islamic ideologies that encourage hatred in the community. Those groups that easily come to mind are Maitatsine, Kalo Kato, and most recently Boko Haram.

These groups are fancied and sponsored by influential Northerners for their selfish agenda.

Unfortunately for the North too most of its elite thrive on divide and rule who continue to divide the North farther apart along religious lines. Presently it is only in the far Northern Nigeria cities you have people living along religious lines. Bombs have been added to the many Northern Nigeria woes in addition to Almajiri, beggars, desertification and religious upheavals. Year in, year out, the North is backward in education, yet recently the ACF, Borno elders and their mouthpiece is in total support of Boko Haram. Is there any group of persons still blaming Southern Nigeria for the woes of the North? Are Southerners the sponsors of Boko haram? Are they the sponsors of the Almajiri system?  Are Southerners the sponsors of crises in Jos?  In fact Southerners too are victims of vicious cabal in the North who feed fat on ethno-religious crises that they sponosor.  All the money allocated for the nomadic education, where is it?  All the 38/9 years North was in power at the Federal level, what is there in the North to show for it? All there is in the North to show for it is polarized towns and cities along religious line. Name them, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Maiduguri and even smaller towns and villages.

There is this adage that says unless you know where the rain started beating you; you will not know where it stopped beating you.

Some of will continue to emphasize that as recent as in the 1980s, there was one united Northern Nigeria where there was no Muslim, Christian or even pagan. Whatever you merit you will have. In the Shagari government, Professor Ishaya Audu a pure Hausa Christian was a senior minister. John Kadiya was a minister. John Yahya Mamman a staunch Hausa Christian from Kano was an Ambassador. Since the Kafanchan riot of 1987, the Northern monolith was shattered by Northerners themselves. Their new found love now is religion.

All these resources wasted in promoting foreign religions can be used in waging war against desertification which is fast overrunning the North. There is hardly any news items in BBC Hausa service these days without farmers from far Northern states of Jigawa, Katsina, Yobe, Kebbi and Zamfara amongst others crying for lack of rain.

From 2008 to date, probably about 100,000 people might have been killed in the various religious and political crises in Northern Nigeria. What a waste.

I suggest that the Northern governors’ forum if there are serious and have genuine love for their people should set up a truth and reconciliation commission akin to what happened in South Africa post apartheid.

Blaming the South for the self inflicted woes of Northerners is the most foolishly thing to do in my opinion.

Northerners are their own enemies as they gradually turn the North into a Somalia.

Ndiameeh Babrik.

ndiame_2005@yahoo.co.uk

By Ndiameeh Babrik, NNP – Jan. 30, 2011

Out of curiosity I decided to check the internet to find out about the former ambassador before putting pen to paper. Information about John Campbell in Wikipedia has it that he was born in 1944 in Washington DC in America.

He was the former Ambassador of the US to Nigeria from 2004 to 2007.

Since John Campbell was born in 1944, that puts his age conservatively at 66/67 years. By all standards he is suppose to be a pensioner and an elder whether in Nigeria or even in America. Being a John, I will assume he might be a Christian and is therefore just three years from the proverbial and biblical 70 years. Any man or woman at 67 years ought to be filled with wisdom so says the elders.

I am taking the pain to go through the above preamble for my readers to understand my pain and bewilderment about John Campbell’s satanic articles about Nigeria.

This was somebody who was in Nigeria for four years and enjoyed the best of our hospitality more so as a diplomat.

The question that is agitating my mind is that what does it profit Ambassador John Campbell if Nigeria should break up? What does it really profit Ambassador John Campbell if Nigeria should go to war along religious line?

Of what interest is it to John Campbell to instigate Christians and Muslims in Nigeria to go to war?

Which of the cabals, clique or mafia groups does he belong to if I may ask?

Could it be that Ambassador John Campbell missed out on something in Nigeria? Could it be that he was part of the shoddy Halliburton bribe scandal? Only his conscience can answer all the above questions. But what is his interest in Nigeria really? At 67 years of age why he is instigating Northern Nigeria against Southern Nigeria? Why is he banging the head of Northerners against Southerners?

What will it benefit him if innocent Nigerians are killed in religious war or tribal war? At 67, I expect Ambassador John Campbell to be a man of peace, not a man of warmongering. As a former diplomat I expect the former ambassador to be a man who will promote peaceful co-existence amongst all religious and tribal groups whether in America or Nigeria. Men of 67 years of age are supposed to be role models to the youth.   They should encourage the youth to keep and promote the peace. In every society life is sacrosanct. There is no need to promote discord in one society on the pages of the newspaper.

It is true that John Campbell might have been disappointed that the PDP presidential primaries was peaceful and successful beyond his prediction especially after his first article which forecasted brimstone and fire. Nigerians have won the first round. In April and May 2011, we shall still win the second round. For this reason I single out General Babangida for praises for his statesmanlike action of congratulating Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

As Nigerians we all need one another whether you are from the North, from the Middle belt or the South.

Dear Nigerians, let us still put the doom pundits to shame.

We do not want Nigeria to disintegrate; all we want is a true and fiscal federalism.

Whatever doom pundits will want to happen, the 2011 elections will come and go, Nigeria will still remain as a nation. This democracy has come to stay. All these teething problems of ethnic and religious crises are the carryover of military regime mentality where on group thinks they can lord it over others.

By the time this democracy is grounded and people’s constitution has evolved, all these problems would be sorted out.

Please Ambassador John Campbell, spare us your jaundiced and ill timed war mongering in Nigeria.

At 67, we expect you to promote peace globally not the least in a country that hosted you as an Ambassador for four years.

Remember 67 years is not 67 days Mr Campbell.

As a Christian that you are supposed to be, remember the Golden rule; “Do unto others as you want them to do unto you” or better still “Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Please love Nigeria as you love America Ambassador John Campbell.

Thanks for reading,

Ndiameeh Babrik.

ndiame_2005@yahoo.co.uk