Elo Edremoda, Warri
About 11 communities in Burutu and Bomadi council areas of Delta State are reportedly under serious attacks by pirates.
The communities, in a save-our-soul message to President Muhammadu Buhari, claimed that efforts to get the intervention of the local and state governments, as well as security operatives, have received no response.
According to them, the hoodlums who patrol the creeks daily, have held the communities under siege for over three months, maiming, stealing and raping their women.
The affected communities include Egragbene, Ikogbene, Orugbene, Abediama, Ekunugbene, Ebieregbene, Kalafiogbene and Agboro-Delta communities.
Others are Ogriagbene, Enekorogha, Ndoro and other communities along the Ramos River.
The Nation learnt that the house of the chairman of Egragbene community was bombed Monday night.
Fortunately, the victim and his family members were not at home at the time of the incident.
Speaking to newsmen in Warri, “Concerned Citizens” who for fear of being attacked, chose to be anonymous, appealed to the federal government for swift intervention.
They lamented that commercial activities have been brought to a halt, causing untold hardship among residents of the areas.
They stated, “We are under siege by pirates who have locked down all commercial activities in those areas of Burutu and Bomadi. As we speak, no commercial boat, no fishing activities, no farming or tapping is effective, as all the people are afraid of being kidnapped, beaten or killed, or the women being raped.
“We have made several attempts to the government through the LGA chairman, to the state and also appealed to security agents, the JTF, the Nigerian Navy and Army to come to our rescue, all to no avail.
“We are seriously appealing to the government and particularly, the military to hear our cry as we are being maimed, our women raped, properties stolen at gunpoint and loss of lives well recorded in these areas. The delay of government to reach us in this request has made life extremely difficult for the people.
“We believe in the government of the day and we also believe that the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under President Buhari is capable of containing these unscrupulous gunmen in the once peaceful Ramos River and its environs in the Niger Delta.”
Noting that the pirates are a “cartel”, the people expressed fear that if not tackled early, they may spread their onslaught to “other areas and even oil companies” operating in the region.
Confirming the development, the Burutu council boss, Hon. Godknows Angele, stated thus: “I had a call over the development from Ekogbene where pirates have laid siege in the communities particularly Ekogbene, Egrangbene, Ndoro and other communities.
“I will send a delegation to Ekogbene to assess the level of damage caused by the bombing of the community chairman’s residence over the community’s resistance.”
The Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Adeyinka Adeleke, said the Command is aware of the situation.
He said, “We know about it and we are trying to get the situation under control.”
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