JTF deploys more troops in Ayakoromor

Posted by admin Armed Forces, Delta, Goodluck Jonathan (2010-present), Headlines, Niger Delta, State News Thursday, May 12th, 2011

WARRI – MORE troops were deployed in the riverine community of Ayakoromor, Burutu local government of Delta State, Thrusday, by the Joint Task Force, JTF, on the Niger-Delta, following Wednesday’s unfinished gun battle with a militant group in the area.

The deployment of more soldiers fuelled fears in the community and environs that soldiers might launch a full attack on defector militants in the next few days. An independent source told Vanguard yesterday that some persons were wounded in the battle.

Already, residents, particularly women and children started fleeing the community in droves, yesterday morning, when they saw the way soldiers besieging the town, which was a theatre of a gory war, last year, between the task force and ex-militant leader, John Togo, whose militant group, Niger-Delta Liberation Force, NDLF, killed some soldiers, allegedly in self-defense when their camp were invaded.

Vanguard gathered on good authority that tension mounted at the community yesterday, as a villager who spoke on phone said, “The women and children have been asked to leave the community for safety but the men were not allowed to leave”.

An apparent retaliatory attack by soldiers, in 2010, over the killing of their colleagues, witnessed the razing of many houses and several killings, which were utterly denied by the task force, but, the Federal Government directed that the burnt houses be re-built, while the state government also intervened by providing some relief materials to the people and also undertaking to build houses for the people.

Spokesman of JTF, Lt.Col Timothy Antigha , who confirmed the skirmish, said, “At about 13.53 hours today (Wednesday), again in Ayakoromo community in Burutu local government area of Delta state, there was a skirmish between troops of the JTF who were on routine patrol and renegade militants, suspected to be associates of the wanted John Togo”.

“Further details will be provided later. You will recall that the just two days ago, the JTF in a press release warned that discredited politicians who lost election in Delta state were colluding with some discredited elements to threaten security in the state and region”, he stated.

-Vanguardwp_posts