21 August 2016, Warri – Leaders of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State raised the alarm over the weekend about the planned invasion of the kingdom by the military under the guise of searching for members of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the militant group that has been attacking oil facilities in the region.
The Benenibowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, who raised the alarm at a press conference in Warri, said people have been fleeing the various Ijaw communities when it became known that the military had concluded arrangements to invade the kingdom.
“Please help us tell the whole world that the military has concluded plans to invade Gbaramatu communities under the guise of looking for members of the Niger Delta Avengers. It is the innocent people of our communities that will suffer should the military go ahead to bombard our communities. We don’t harbour members of the Niger Delta Avengers. The agitation cuts across the region; so why singling out only Gbaramatu kingdom?” he lamented.
Gbenekama, who is also the spokesperson of the Gbaramatu Traditional Council, said information available to them was that the kingdom might be invaded by the military noting that soldiers had already been massed in the region ready to launch attack any moment from now.
“The Delta State Commissioner for Information gave an announcement that there is going to be military training in the creeks for two weeks. It is just not the training, we already know that they are training people to attack our people, they are bringing military men to attack our people. This has happened to us before”, he said.
