Jtf, Togo face-off: Urhobo communities plead for relief

The following article, illustrating the dispair of communities caught between militants and miitary, has been posted in its entirety. 

Vanguard

21 February 2011

Jtf, Togo face-off: Urhobo communities plead for relief

FOLLOWING the war of attrition between renegade militant leader, John Togo and the military Joint Task Force, JTF, in charge of security in the Niger Delta region, two Urhobo communities in Delta State have appealed to well meaning Nigerians to urgently send them relief materials to cushion the effect of the manhunt for the unrepentant militant leader.

The communities are Omosuomo Inland and Omosuomo Waterside, both located in Ewu Urhobo Clan of Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.

In a letter to the state Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, by Isaac Okpamramrigho, Chairman, Omosuomo Inland Community; Victor Obodo, Omosuomo Waterside Community and Chief F. Aguonigho, a community leader, they noted that the search for John Togo by the JTF had left on its trail, untold suffering, weeping and wailing  in their communities.

According to them, their people have suffered untold hardship for being natural neighbours to the Ijaw communities from Burutu and Bomadi Local Government Areas of the state.

Before now, they said, their communities used to be the food basket of the three local government areas of Bomadi, Burutu and Ughelli South, but lamented that the reverse was now the case due to incessant assaults, harassment, sea piracy and brutal murder.

The development, according to them had eventually led to the closure of nearly all economic activities in their communities.

They wrote thus; “The women, children and the aged were most victims. Sucking mothers were in the bush for weeks and pregnant women delivered forcefully in strange places without ante natal care and most of these victims lost their lives in the process. Both the militant leader and the military will testify to the fact that our communities were deserted as the game of might and sporadic shootings were the order of the day.”

According to them, all routes for food supply to the communities are currently blocked by JTF, adding that; “In this regard, starvation and malnutrition is now the name of the game.

They also claimed that domestic animals and fishery farms were completely killed and vandalized.

“Plantains and other farm produce are also gone, leaving our people in abject poverty, lacking health facilities, exposed to the hazards of death from epidemics and hunger with most of our houses completely destroyed. We hereby appeal to all arms of government, non_governmental agencies, government agencies and all well meaning Nigerians to come to our aid with relief materials including food items, mosquito nets to combat the malaria epidemic, portable water, medical care, shelter and clothing,” they wrote.