Rights Group Caution Against Politicising Arrest Of suspect Over Arms in Delta State

The Nigerian Ethnic Nations Congress, (NENCO) has cautioned  against politicising the arrest of a suspect allegedly in connection with illicit arms in Delta State.

In a statement on Sunday signed by Dr  Irene Ene Bassey , the group said some Ijaw people are making futile attempts to bring politics into the issue instead of allowing the police to do its work.

The group said it is watching the developments with keen interests.

NENCO said crisis is brewing in Warri and the entire Niger Delta before the arrest over the political and economic marginalisation of Itsekiri adding that the Ijaws were already building up arms to attack the Itsekiri in a repeat of the feud that broke out some 25 years ago.

The group said all ethnic groups in the Niger Delta are currently worried and alarmed by the proliferation of arms by some Ijaw militants.

"We see a conscious attempt to create diversion from the real issue which is that the Ijaw are the aggressors and the chief importers of illicit arms into the Niger Delta," the group said.

According to the group "For the past 10 years,  Government Ekpemupolo Tompolo has been importing arms into the Niger Delta in large numbers. This is known to everyone in the oil producing communities. One of the Ijaw militants even displayed arms and ammunition including rocket propelled grenades during a demonstration he led in Port Harcourt."

The group said the activities of Ijaw armed groups in the Niger Delta have spurred fear of conquest in other ethnic groups in the Niger Delta.

"We are in a situation where the Ijaw boast openly that they would overrun other ethnic groups.Unfortunately, their main militant leader, Mr Tompolo, is constantly empowered through the pipeline contracts. His men arrest people, create personal detention camps and kill people almost on a daily basis. Tompolo intends to subdue every ethnic group in the Niger Delta through the force of arms," the group said many Ijaws are victims of Tompolo's atrocities.

"Even many Ijaws in Rivers, Ondo State and in Bayelsa and all ethnic groups in the Niger Delta are worried about the threat Tompolo represents to communities in the Niger Delta.

It said the lack of response to complaints about Tompolo and his desperation to destabilise Nigeria is responsible for the desperate search for self-preservation of many ethnic groups in the Niger Delta.

The coalition said instead of using the arrested British Army official as a focal point, the Nigerian security operatives should concentrate on expansive mop up of hundreds of thousands of illegal arms already imported to the Niger Delta by Tompolo and his gang. 

The group said  the Ijaws are anxious to be the only one in a position to attack other ethnic groups in Niger Delta and take their land by force.

The group condemned attempts to blackmail His Royal Majesty the Olu of Warri through unfounded allegations and sponsored reports to present the Itsekiri as the aggressor when in reality the arrested suspect appears to be a set up designed to black the Itsekiri Nation in preparation for the war of attrition the Ijaws have nursed over the past years.

The group urged security operatives not to allow the arrest of the suspect to shift their attention from probing the arsenal and the arms depots Tompolo already established across the Niger Delta