Rivers shooting: Casualties rise to 18

From Tony John, Port Harcourt

OVER 18 persons have been killed in the heavy shoot-out between sol­diers and militants sus­pected to be support­ers of the former Niger Delta agitator, Solomon Ndigbara, in Yeghe community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Daily Sun investiga­tion indicated yesterday that, about 18 persons were killed in the shoot­ing.
Sources in the area said casualties might increase as a result of scores who suffered se­vere bullet wounds in the three days shooting in the two local govern­ment areas.
It was further gath­ered that the crisis has escalated in Gokana, following the use of bulldozer to level Ndig­bara’s buildings, alleg­edly by the military.
Chairmen of Gokana and Khana Local Gov­ernment Areas, Austin Sor and Tambari Syd­ney respectively, have condemned the military invasion in their areas.
Reacting to the kill­ings and destruction of property, Sor accused the military of claiming that there was no casu­alty, stressing that the level of destruction in Yeghe community was provocative.
Similarly, his Khana counterpart, Sydney, has said they were yet to ascertain the number of deaths, believing that the figure would in­crease.
Some of the families of the deceased have condemned the state­ment from the 2 Bri­gade, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, that no life was lost.
John Baridon coun­tered the military’s claim. Baridon con­firmed his young­er brother was shot dead in Zaakpon com­munity in Khana coun­cil area, while returning from work.
Meanwhile, Move­ment for the Surviv­al of Ogoni People (MOSOP), has con­demned the military’s operations in the af­fected areas and called on the Federal Govern­ment for an immediate withdrawal of the sol­diers.
On Monday, Febru­ary 22, soldiers invaded Yeghe community, spe­cifically Ndiagbara’s country home, in Go­kana local government, which resulted in the killing of many natives, inflicted severe gunshot injuries on other vic­tims.