Indications emerged on Tuesday that the
amnesty declared for Niger Delta ex-
militants may be under threat, following an
alleged raid on the home of a former
militant leader, Ateke tom.
Tom said his home was invaded by troops
four days ago while he was asleep.
The former leader of the Niger Delta
Vigilante Force also alleged that his life was
under threat even when he had not broken
any rules of the amnesty deal.
According to him, he was woken up by loud
arguments outside his house and went out
to find out what was amiss.
On getting outside, he said he saw some
soldiers trying to take away a motorcycle
parked in front of the house.
He said, “About four days ago, I was
sleeping in my place when suddenly, I
heard a noise and I went out to see what
was happening.
“My people said they went out to put fuel in
the generator. But just as they were doing
so, some soldiers broke into the compound
and tried to take away one of the
motorcycles parked inside.
“I drew close and asked them what the
matter was and they told me they were not
playing. They threatened that they would
kill people and that they did not come there
to play.
“I still demanded to know what the problem
was but they insisted on taking the bike
away. I allowed them and cautioned my
boys not to talk to them (soldiers).
“As the soldiers left, I asked everybody to
go inside and let the matter die. We were
contemplating reporting the matter to the
police when another incident happened last
night. ”
Tom said some girls were returning from a
birthday party in his compound on Monday
night when they were arrested and taken to
the JTF headquarters in Okrika.
He said the soldiers insulted the girls and
queried the source of their cars when they
(soldiers) were not paid enough to own
theirs.
He continued, “One of the girls said the
soldiers scolded her for driving a car as
young as she was. They asked the girls how
they could afford cars.
“They threatened that very soon, a war
would break out and they would wipe out
people in Okochiri. The girls were detained
till daybreak and in the morning, they
ordered them to sweep the yard.
“They have threatened to raid this place
very soon. We have not done anything
wrong and we don ’t know what is
happening.
“We were granted amnesty and we have
not violated any of the rules, but this attack
is shocking. We don ’t know whether there is
still amnesty.
“If they say they want to raid us, will they
not be causing a problem? I don’t
understand where the amnesty is going. We
don ’t know what is going on and nobody
knows what is in the mind of the soldiers.”
He insisted that he had not broken any of
the rules of the amnesty to warrant any
attack from the soldiers.
He, however, vowed to report the matter to
the Presidency, the Presidential Committee
on Amnesty, the police high command and
the Rivers State Government.
But when contacted, the Coordinator, Joint
Media Campaign of the JTF, Lt. Col. Timothy
Antigha, said no attack was carried on the
ex-militant leader ’s house.
Antigha noted that troops on regular patrol
of Okrika arrested some persons who
violated the existing curfew in the area and
later set them free.
He said, “To the best of my knowledge and
from available information from the sector
commander and the commanding officer in
Okrika, no JTF personnel went anywhere
close to Ateke Tom ’s house.
“Agreed, they had gone on a normal patrol
of the area and arrested people, who broke
the curfew, none of those arrested was
anywhere close to Ateke Tom ’s compound.
“I don’t know why he is raising this false
alarm. At any rate, he has access to the
sector commander and other senior officers
there, if there was any such action against
his people, he should have gone to make a
complaint.
“We are not aware of any attack on Ateke
Tom or the arrest of people in his
compound. Only those who broke the
existing curfew were arrested and they
were not picked close to his compound. ”
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